Apple's Tim Cook was among Chinese President Xi's dinner guests

AppleInsider

President Xi Jinping of China hosted a dinner in San Francisco on November 15, 2023, intent on convincing top business people including Apple's Tim Cook, that China is force for good in the world.

Tim Cook

It's not the first time that Tim Cook has met President Xi. But significantly, Cook was only of a very few Big Tech business leaders included at the private dinner.

"China does not seek spheres of influence, and will not fight a cold war or a hot war with anyone," President Xi told guests, according to Bloomberg.

The meal took place in San Francisco, following President Xi's afternoon of talks with President Biden. According to Bloomberg, some 21 people were on the guest list.

That list did include representatives from technology firms such as Broadcom, Honeywell, and Qualcomm. But there was no Microsoft, Amazon, Google, or Meta/Facebook on the guest list.

Bloomberg says that guests presenter were kept away from President Xi, by bodyguards who sat near him. Reportedly, the guests were served "a menu of seasonal vegetables in a champagne vinaigrette, black Angus flat iron steak and vanilla custard tart, from approaching him."

What the guests did not get was a discussion of China's military aggression against Taiwan. However, even though President Xi avoided saying the word Taiwan, he did seek to reassure business leaders that there will be no conflict.

Apple has not commented on the dinner, nor has Cook tweeted about it.

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Appleish

Was Jon Stewart invited?

Wasabi

William, It Was Really Nothing.

jfabula1

Just A show 

Honkers

They only got served if they approached the guy with bodyguards?

CelticPaddy

Tim Greed needs to go!

jfabula1

CelticPaddy said:

Tim Greed needs to go!

Whats his middle name? Sucker?

tnet-primary

Bloomberg says that guests presenter were kept away from President Xi, by bodyguards who sat near him. Reportedly, the guests were served "a menu of seasonal vegetables in a champagne vinaigrette, black Angus flat iron steak and vanilla custard tart, from approaching him."

Are some words order out of article in this?

Kierkegaarden

tnet-primary said:

Bloomberg says that guests presenter were kept away from President Xi, by bodyguards who sat near him. Reportedly, the guests were served "a menu of seasonal vegetables in a champagne vinaigrette, black Angus flat iron steak and vanilla custard tart, from approaching him."

Are some words order out of article in this?

Clearly this means that bodyguards prevented a vanilla custard tart from approaching Xi.

blastdoor

I guess you don't need a 'sphere of influence' when you just redraw the map to annex territory: 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/china-new-map-anger-india-south-china-sea-border-disputes-rcna102921

If Xi's rhetoric were actually true, it would be pretty compelling. For example, imagine a world in which China patiently tried to reunite with Taiwan through positive, peaceful persuasion, instead of constant bullying and threats. Imagine a world in which China actually respected its neighbors and didn't unilaterally attempt to expand borders. What if China tried to gradually become more open and free? In short, what if China behaved as the West had hoped it would behave back in the 80s and 90s? The world, including China, would be a better place. Instead, we've got a wanna-be emperor declaring a forever friendship with a wanna-be czar. What a pity. 

9secondkox2

Xi shouldn’t even be allowed to step foot here. 

It’s ridiculous that America (and Apple, Google, etc) looks the other way to his human rights atrocities and dictatorial ambitions just because of money. 

Now he wants to forcibly devour a nice profitable and free country to make it his own. Wars have been fought for less. We used to be the international policeman. But now the chief is dazed and confused most of the time and refuses to take the rich criminals to task. 

Xi has formed strong bonds with Russia and our California, federal, and tech leaders (newsom, Biden, and cook) welcome him? Would they do that with Putin? Only if he had more money to offer, apparently. 

Newsom even magically found a way to cure the years-long homeless issue and clean up the streets of San Fran in weeks to roll out the clean carpet for Xi. For XI! Wish I was making this up. Couldn’t do it for the residents snd constitents. But for sn evil dictator with money? No prob. 

Honkers

9secondkox2 said:

Xi shouldn’t even be allowed to step foot here. 

It’s ridiculous that America (and Apple, Google, etc) looks the other way to his human rights atrocities and dictatorial ambitions just because of money. 

Now he wants to forcibly devour a nice profitable and free country to make it his own. Wars have been fought for less. We used to be the international policeman. But now the chief is dazed and confused most of the time and refuses to take the rich criminals to task. 

Xi has formed strong bonds with Russia and our California, federal, and tech leaders (newsom, Biden, and cook) welcome him? Would they do that with Putin? Only if he had more money to offer, apparently. 

Newsom even magically found a way to cure the years-long homeless issue and clean up the streets of San Fran in weeks to roll out the clean carpet for Xi. For XI! Wish I was making this up. Couldn’t do it for the residents snd constitents. But for sn evil dictator with money? No prob. 

Good luck effecting change if you refuse to talk with the people who you need to change.

fred1

Honkers said:

9secondkox2 said:

Xi shouldn’t even be allowed to step foot here. 

It’s ridiculous that America (and Apple, Google, etc) looks the other way to his human rights atrocities and dictatorial ambitions just because of money. 

Now he wants to forcibly devour a nice profitable and free country to make it his own. Wars have been fought for less. We used to be the international policeman. But now the chief is dazed and confused most of the time and refuses to take the rich criminals to task. 

Xi has formed strong bonds with Russia and our California, federal, and tech leaders (newsom, Biden, and cook) welcome him? Would they do that with Putin? Only if he had more money to offer, apparently. 

Newsom even magically found a way to cure the years-long homeless issue and clean up the streets of San Fran in weeks to roll out the clean carpet for Xi. For XI! Wish I was making this up. Couldn’t do it for the residents snd constitents. But for sn evil dictator with money? No prob. 

Good luck effecting change if you refuse to talk with the people who you need to change.

And while you’re working on that, please read a few news sources. This was not a summit between Biden and Xi only. It was something called APEC, which happens to include many world leaders. I leave the rest to you. 

blastdoor

Honkers said:

9secondkox2 said:

Xi shouldn’t even be allowed to step foot here. 

It’s ridiculous that America (and Apple, Google, etc) looks the other way to his human rights atrocities and dictatorial ambitions just because of money. 

Now he wants to forcibly devour a nice profitable and free country to make it his own. Wars have been fought for less. We used to be the international policeman. But now the chief is dazed and confused most of the time and refuses to take the rich criminals to task. 

Xi has formed strong bonds with Russia and our California, federal, and tech leaders (newsom, Biden, and cook) welcome him? Would they do that with Putin? Only if he had more money to offer, apparently. 

Newsom even magically found a way to cure the years-long homeless issue and clean up the streets of San Fran in weeks to roll out the clean carpet for Xi. For XI! Wish I was making this up. Couldn’t do it for the residents snd constitents. But for sn evil dictator with money? No prob. 

Good luck effecting change if you refuse to talk with the people who you need to change.

The purpose of talking to Xi isn’t to change him, it’s to negotiate and try to avoid misunderstandings.  This guy absolutely is an adversary of free people everywhere. That’s not going to change. 

Honkers

blastdoor said:

Honkers said:

9secondkox2 said:

Xi shouldn’t even be allowed to step foot here. 

It’s ridiculous that America (and Apple, Google, etc) looks the other way to his human rights atrocities and dictatorial ambitions just because of money. 

Now he wants to forcibly devour a nice profitable and free country to make it his own. Wars have been fought for less. We used to be the international policeman. But now the chief is dazed and confused most of the time and refuses to take the rich criminals to task. 

Xi has formed strong bonds with Russia and our California, federal, and tech leaders (newsom, Biden, and cook) welcome him? Would they do that with Putin? Only if he had more money to offer, apparently. 

Newsom even magically found a way to cure the years-long homeless issue and clean up the streets of San Fran in weeks to roll out the clean carpet for Xi. For XI! Wish I was making this up. Couldn’t do it for the residents snd constitents. But for sn evil dictator with money? No prob. 

Good luck effecting change if you refuse to talk with the people who you need to change.

The purpose of talking to Xi isn’t to change him, it’s to negotiate and try to avoid misunderstandings.  This guy absolutely is an adversary of free people everywhere. That’s not going to change. 

What are you negotiating for, if not change?

blastdoor

Honkers said:

blastdoor said:

Honkers said:

9secondkox2 said:

Xi shouldn’t even be allowed to step foot here. 

It’s ridiculous that America (and Apple, Google, etc) looks the other way to his human rights atrocities and dictatorial ambitions just because of money. 

Now he wants to forcibly devour a nice profitable and free country to make it his own. Wars have been fought for less. We used to be the international policeman. But now the chief is dazed and confused most of the time and refuses to take the rich criminals to task. 

Xi has formed strong bonds with Russia and our California, federal, and tech leaders (newsom, Biden, and cook) welcome him? Would they do that with Putin? Only if he had more money to offer, apparently. 

Newsom even magically found a way to cure the years-long homeless issue and clean up the streets of San Fran in weeks to roll out the clean carpet for Xi. For XI! Wish I was making this up. Couldn’t do it for the residents snd constitents. But for sn evil dictator with money? No prob. 

Good luck effecting change if you refuse to talk with the people who you need to change.

The purpose of talking to Xi isn’t to change him, it’s to negotiate and try to avoid misunderstandings.  This guy absolutely is an adversary of free people everywhere. That’s not going to change. 

What are you negotiating for, if not change?

You’re looking for areas of common interest and to avoid conflicts that neither side wants. Both sides might want to reduce carbon emissions, for example. Neither side wants a war they can’t win. But that doesn’t mean either side is going to change.