Apple CEO spotted in Beijing amid rumors of further investments in China [u]
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, in his first trip to China since taking the reins from late company co-founder Steve Jobs, met with Chinese government officials on Monday to discuss plans to further expand operations in the country.
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu said Cook "had great meetings with Chinese officials today," adding that "China is very important to us and we look forward to even greater investment and growth here."
The nature of Cook's visit to China is unclear as Wu did not comment on the specifics of the meetings or the names of those officials who attended.
It is possible that the Apple executive may be in talks with representatives from the world's largest wireless carrier China Mobile, a state-run telecommunications company, over a next-generation iPhone. Last year, Cook was reportedly spotted at the carrier's headquarters in Beijing, though at the time he was Apple's chief operating officer. More than 15 million subscribers are currently using the iPhone on China Mobile, despite the lack of official support for the device.
Recent reports claim Apple's handset could arrive on China Mobile late this year or early next year and the carrier's officials are believed to be "aggressively negotiating" with Apple.
In a separate report, people familiar with the matter speculate that Cook may be in China to discuss the sixth-generation iPhone with China Unicom and China Telecom, the company's two carrier partners in the country.
Apple CEO Tim Cook visiting the Xidan Joy City Apple Store in Beijing, via STwing.
Following Monday's meetings Cook, who has been dubbed "Captain Cook" in Chinese, was later seen visiting the Joy City Apple Store in the Xidan area of Beijin and user STwing of Chinese micro-blogging service Sina Weibo managed to snag a picture at around 11:00 a.m., TechNode. First opened in 2010 with the Chinese launch of the iPhone 4, the Joy City location has since become Apple's top retail outlet in terms of consumer traffic and transaction volume.
As sales in the country have taken off, Apple has increasingly turned its attention toward China. The region became the company's second-largest market last year, behind only the U.S. According to Cook, Apple still has plenty of room for growth there.
One analysis last November pegged China as having overtaken the U.S. to become the world's largest smartphone market. Another study emerged last week declaring that the country now leads the world in iOS and Android device activations.
[ View article on AppleInsider ]
Comments
Or maybe not. He wouldn't say.
But we will report it anyway.
"it is speculated that rather then speaking to any of the Telecom companies in China, Tim Cook may have just stop by to use the bathroom, since he was just walking by, and he figured no one would mind. The Joy City apple store is know to have one of the cleanest public sit toilets in the downtown Bejing area.
Or maybe not. He wouldn't say.
But we will report it anyway.
My thoughts exactly.
He might be there to meet with suppliers of the retina screen for the next MacBook Pro.
Or buying time on the next Chinese rocket launch to put Apple's satellites in place for Apple's satellite phone service.
Or he could be meeting with the 12 year old kids who will be building the Apple 72" TV.
What a ridiculous article.
He is the CEO and a very busy man. He would not have gone there except for some big negotiation.
Nonsense.
He might have gone to meet with suppliers for existing product (in case you hadn't noticed, Apple's relationship with suppliers has been in the news lately).
He might have gone there to contact retail partners (since China is such a huge market for Apple products).
He might have gone there to meet with suppliers for future products.
He might have gone there to discuss something entirely different - something that even the rumors sites haven't gotten wind of.
Heck, he might have gone there for vacation.
Assuming that he went there to meet with Chinese carriers is absurd.
Nonsense.
He might have gone to meet with suppliers for existing product (in case you hadn't noticed, Apple's relationship with suppliers has been in the news lately).
He might have gone there to contact retail partners (since China is such a huge market for Apple products).
He might have gone there to meet with suppliers for future products.
He might have gone there to discuss something entirely different - something that even the rumors sites haven't gotten wind of.
Heck, he might have gone there for vacation.
Assuming that he went there to meet with Chinese carriers is absurd.
Those are all potential business dealings Apple could have in China, but they are not things that only the CEO could do. I am working on the assumption that he is so busy he would only be there for things only the CEO could do. Anything he could delegate he would delegate.
Those are all potential business dealings Apple could have in China, but they are not things that only the CEO could do. I am working on the assumption that he is so busy he would only be there for things only the CEO could do. Anything he could delegate he would delegate.
Meeting with carriers is not something that only the CEO could do, either.
You obviously have no concept of what the CEO does in a corporation.
Maybe he should stay there. I love Apple products but seriously how can you still call them an American company when 99.9% of the workers aren't Americans?
You might start by getting your facts right. Apple has well over 47,000 employees in the US (and is responsible for many other jobs, as well)
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_20090220
So, if your numbers were correct, Apple must employ 47,000,000 people worldwide. Amazing.
Maybe he should stay there. I love Apple products but seriously how can you still call them an American company when 99.9% of the workers aren't Americans?
If you truly believe such claptrap, you should: (i) Buy something else (good luck with finding something "American"
Maybe he should stay there. I love Apple products but seriously how can you still call them an American company when 99.9% of the workers aren't Americans?
I'm sorry, when did Apple buy Foxconn?
Keep your lies in check.
Maybe he should stay there. I love Apple products but seriously how can you still call them an American company when 99.9% of the workers aren't Americans?
Even if you were to claim all of Foxconn's work force that makes Apple products some how works for Apple they would still have 10% of their employees here in America. Apple hired over 10,000 employees over the last 2 years during a horrible recession. If you are going to be bitter that's your own affair. Please get your facts right, there are plenty of real things to be bitter about with out making up false problems to worry over.
Looks like I type to slow. :-)
Meeting with carriers is not something that only the CEO could do, either.
If it's high level negotiations then it has to be someone who has the power to accept/reject/make counter-offers on the spot. It can't be someone has to call back to California to confirm everything. It is definitely a job for the CEO. I remember Steve was famous for his deal-making with other companies.
Edit: Oh, it's come out that he was there for negotiations, not with phone companies but with "Chinese officials."
I found this site to be pretty informative if you have any interest.
http://www.chinesenegotiation.com/about/
If it's high level negotiations then it has to be someone who has the power to accept/reject/make counter-offers on the spot. It can't be someone has to call back to California to confirm everything. It is definitely a job for the CEO. I remember Steve was famous for his deal-making with other companies.
Edit: Oh, it's come out that he was there for negotiations, not with phone companies but with "Chinese officials."
That is irrelevant. You stated that he had to be there to meet with the cell carriers because only the CEO could do that. First, the statement is wrong - it is quite common in negotiating with the Chinese to have lower level people involved early on. Second, your post suggests that negotiating with the cell phone companies is the only thing he could be there for. There are certainly plenty of other reasons for him to be there that might not even involve the cell carriers.
And, of course, as you point out, you were wrong, anyway.
Everything I read about negotiating with the Chinese would say treating them in the same regard you would a US entity may not get you the same success. With 3500 years of written history they have an expectation of respect and obviously don't consider themselves subserviant to Western interests. Making any assumption on why Tim Cook might be there by basing it on whether he'd appear for a similar negotiation in the US (for instance with a telecom) might not be a good comparison. Do a search for "negotiating with the Chinese" for some advice from those that have been-there and done-that.
I found this site to be pretty informative if you have any interest.
http://www.chinesenegotiation.com/about/
Or, you could talk to someone who has done it - like me.
Or, you could talk to someone who has done it - like me.
Well of course you have. How else would you know all about it? Thanks for putting some of the other guesses to rest as to why Tim Cook could be in China.
Well of course you have. How else would you know all about it? Thanks for putting some of the other guesses to rest as to why Tim Cook could be in China.
As usual, your reading comprehension stinks.
I made it quite clear that I don't have any idea why Cook was in China. There is an enormous number of possibilities. So how would that put any guesses to rest?
He is the CEO and a very busy man. He would not have gone there except for some big negotiation.
Those are all potential business dealings Apple could have in China, but they are not things that only the CEO could do. I am working on the assumption that he is so busy he would only be there for things only the CEO could do. Anything he could delegate he would delegate.
Or perhaps to also personally give out the prize in the iTunes contest. It was a major marketing gig so having the CEO of the company be the one to hand it over is something they might do. Especially if Tim wanted to stop in and check out the local stores (something even Steve did from time to time)
As for the delegation comment, perhaps that is how you would handle things. But Tim Cook is not you so don't assume he would act the same way. particularly since many of these dealings could be things he handled as the COO and so he has personal connections with the parties involved and might feel that keeping up that connection is important to keeping things running smoothly.
Maybe he should stay there. I love Apple products but seriously how can you still call them an American company when 99.9% of the workers aren't Americans?
because that 99.9% don't work for Apple. They work for a company that is doing contract work for Apple (and many other tech companies)
I'm quite certain that Tim Cook will be there on a regular basis in the future. It's where Apple's products get made and it will be a huge market for those products as well. I don't think there is much to speculate about why he's there. People in China love Apple stuff. The iPhone is probably the single most desirable product amongst the rising middle class as well as the upper class that can afford it.
Asians can get rather irrationally brand-conscious and that obviously works in Apple's favor. It really is the brand over the specs with most of these consumers and that means the likes of Samsung, LG, Sony, Nokia, etc. have to sell cheaper with much lower margins than Apple does. Apple can be the BMW/Mercedes while still going for mainstream Toyota-type of volumes.
High-volumes with high margins... Who else but Apple can do this? And China is the ideal market to target with this rather unique business model that Apple has. Apple will need to ramp up there in a serious way - both in manufacturing and in the distribution & sales channels. I'm somewhat surprised that Apple still only has six retail stores there. Seems TC is there to show that Apple is now very, very serious about the Chinese market.
because that 99.9% don't work for Apple. They work for a company that is doing contract work for Apple (and many other tech companies)
In other words- they work for Apple. If Apple products weren't made there they wouldn't be making them.
Again, I love Apple products and admire the company in many ways, screwing Americans for cheap labor sure ain't one of them.
I know it's not Apple and most American companies are doing it. So f'ing what. The CEO's and upper managements are destroying America for greed. It's freaking pitiful.