Apple CEO Tim Cook says globalization is 'great for the world' in China speech
Apple CEO Tim Cook offered remarks on globalization, cybersecurity, encryption, international relations and more during a rare public appearance in China, part of the executive's attempts to woo Chinese consumers.

Apple CEO Tim Cook meets Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong in Beijing in 2015.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Cook delivered commentary on world affairs during an hour-long address on Saturday at the China Development Forum, an annual conference sponsored by the Chinese government. The heads of western corporations sometimes attend the convention to bolster ties with high ranking officials in the Chinese central government, the report said.
During his speech, Cook said globalization "in general is great for the world," but noted socioeconomic gains may not be evenly distributed within or between countries. Despite globalization's shortcomings, countries should not shy away from such development, he said.
"I think the worst thing would be to -- because it didn't help everyone -- is to say it's bad and do less of that," Cook said. "I think the reality is you can see that countries in the world...that isolate themselves, it's not good for their people."
The subject is a contentious one for Apple, a U.S. company that farms out a bulk of its manufacturing operations to China. President Donald Trump recently called for Apple to bring iPhone production to America, a move that would stimulate the domestic economy. Trump has asked the same of many U.S. multinationals in attempts to repatriate overseas jobs.
Beyond economics, Cook touched on cybersecurity and user privacy, both highly sensitive subjects in China. Parroting past statements on the matter, Cook said Apple employs end-to-end encryption to protect its customers from nefarious actors. He fell short of taking a stand against Chinese cybersecurity policy that requires companies to furnish authorities with technical assistance in investigations and data gathering operations.
Unlike the U.S., where Apple is an outspoken critic of government snooping -- and last year went to court to fight Federal Bureau of Investigation demands to decrypt an iPhone -- China is handled with kid gloves. Companies and individual who publicly oppose government mandate, especially when it comes to topics like cybersecurity, privacy and free speech, are often met with swift retaliation. At times, government responses can negatively impact business relations, which could be catastrophic to the bottom lines of companies like Apple.
Cook tiptoed around the subject of data privacy, saying, "We think that an individual should own their data and should be able to control their data." He has made similar statements in the past, often using harsh words to condemn state-sponsored snooping, but the claws didn't come out today in China.
Cook is in China to bolster relations with the country's central government. Apple's top executive is slated to speak with Xu Lin, director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, in a private meeting on Monday.

Apple CEO Tim Cook meets Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong in Beijing in 2015.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Cook delivered commentary on world affairs during an hour-long address on Saturday at the China Development Forum, an annual conference sponsored by the Chinese government. The heads of western corporations sometimes attend the convention to bolster ties with high ranking officials in the Chinese central government, the report said.
During his speech, Cook said globalization "in general is great for the world," but noted socioeconomic gains may not be evenly distributed within or between countries. Despite globalization's shortcomings, countries should not shy away from such development, he said.
"I think the worst thing would be to -- because it didn't help everyone -- is to say it's bad and do less of that," Cook said. "I think the reality is you can see that countries in the world...that isolate themselves, it's not good for their people."
The subject is a contentious one for Apple, a U.S. company that farms out a bulk of its manufacturing operations to China. President Donald Trump recently called for Apple to bring iPhone production to America, a move that would stimulate the domestic economy. Trump has asked the same of many U.S. multinationals in attempts to repatriate overseas jobs.
Beyond economics, Cook touched on cybersecurity and user privacy, both highly sensitive subjects in China. Parroting past statements on the matter, Cook said Apple employs end-to-end encryption to protect its customers from nefarious actors. He fell short of taking a stand against Chinese cybersecurity policy that requires companies to furnish authorities with technical assistance in investigations and data gathering operations.
Unlike the U.S., where Apple is an outspoken critic of government snooping -- and last year went to court to fight Federal Bureau of Investigation demands to decrypt an iPhone -- China is handled with kid gloves. Companies and individual who publicly oppose government mandate, especially when it comes to topics like cybersecurity, privacy and free speech, are often met with swift retaliation. At times, government responses can negatively impact business relations, which could be catastrophic to the bottom lines of companies like Apple.
Cook tiptoed around the subject of data privacy, saying, "We think that an individual should own their data and should be able to control their data." He has made similar statements in the past, often using harsh words to condemn state-sponsored snooping, but the claws didn't come out today in China.
Cook is in China to bolster relations with the country's central government. Apple's top executive is slated to speak with Xu Lin, director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, in a private meeting on Monday.


Comments
(I realize this is polarizing because of his activist position on liberal issues.)
It might be interesting to see how Cook would manage the unmanageable ‘supply chain’ of the U.S. government juggernaut.
That was over 60 years ago. Never voted for creeps like Nixon, Reagan or Trump. Rarely encountered leading Democrats "on my side" for longer than an election cycle or two. The leaders of many of the trade unions I joined and worked to improve were often as easily bought off by useless promises and/or dollar$ as any state politician. At the same time, I was fortunate enough to march alongside women and men of all colors and convictions with lifetime commitments to change. Ready to risk their lives in dissent. Just as ready to understand solidarity is as global as shares in software startups and likely to be more rewarding to an ethical conscience.
Yup. Long-winded as ever. Just saying, look over your country's favorite wall, your neighborhood's barrio boundary, you might discover some enjoyable new food for your belly - or heart and mind.
And there are even dangers in democracy, if the electorate is ignorant and uncommitted to the principles of that form of government, as we saw in Egypt and other Arab Spring disasters, and we may be seeing in the US right now.
Contrary to theory where because of comparative advantage everybody wins it's clear now that this isn't true. American workers lose.
Corporate culture has displace independent business in every corner of the US. Retailers like Walmart have done more to lower wages in small towns by crushing mom and pop businesses, offering few full time positions and being the only place to shop for everything in small towns and rural places.
In big cities local governments are taking the bait of corporate funds to takeover parks, playgrounds and other public (tax payer) land to promote their services and products. This activity plays a part in hyper-gentrification forcing the poor and working class out of big cities where wages are higher to more economically depressed areas.
Cook is correct though about "isolated states" which citizens of the UK and the USA seem to desire at this time. He is right that the free flow of ideas, talent and technology is better than stagnation. The more we know and the better we educate ourselves about the world the better chance we have to help shape it, sticking our collective heads in the sands is not the answer to the many complex problems and opportunities need to address.
The danger of democracy is that it might elect a treasonous bitch who would start World War III on purpose and sell her country to foreigners.
That's why we're a republic. That's your question? Not "Why are the bees dying off in the first place?"
"But but but but but but but but diberzidy is our stremgfth!"
One can't expect 300 chip foundries or advanced OLED plants to exist in every country worldwide.
The US is positioning itself for the biggest brain drain in its history. Schools will suffer tremendously in the coming years as funds dry up. Great teachers will retrain to work in the private sector to make a living wage rather than struggle as a public school teacher. Our children's education will sink even further down the ladder of in comparison to other wester nations. All this because "elites" are considered enemies of the state.
To establish his own, yes. Commies committed genocide on the native, actual Russians simply because they were Russian and Christian. Communism has literally never been a “movement of the people.” It is a movement of A people.
I don’t care about time. That they don’t have the time is why we send representatives to an assembly to do this for us.
I don’t care about interest. If they don’t have the interest, they shouldn’t be allowed to vote in the first place. THAT’S WHY THE REPUBLIC WAS EXPRESSLY ESTABLISHED WITH LIMITED FRANCHISE and needs to return to it.
I don’t care about ability. That they don’t have the ability is why they take what time they can to LEARN ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO DO, judge them against one another, and determine which is best to send in representation to the aforementioned assembly.
These things are meaningless, because either you take the time to put in the interest or you lose not only your ability to complain about the situation, you should ALSO LOSE YOUR ABILITY TO VOTE IN THE FIRST PLACE. Democracy has always destroyed nations.
As a matter of course (in generality), or on a case-by-case basis? Surely you don’t mean to say that everyone in power is there legitimately.
I’m grateful to those with actual credentials and who aren’t traitors.
Guess who’s responsible for that. It rhymes with “my feets.”
1. Private schools pay teachers less than public schools. This charter bullshit is going to destroy education if Pence gets his way.
2. Fuck the ‘living wage’ dialectic.
Be very, VERY, VERY careful now. Otherwise I’ll have to respond to this with facts that will hurt your feelings.
Nah.