Apple CEO Tim Cook visited new Foxconn iPhone plant during China trip

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014


Apple CEO Tim Cook visited an iPhone production line at a Foxconn plant in Zhengzhou, China, the company confirmed on Wednesday.



Carolyn Wu, a spokeswoman for the Cupertino, Calif., company, told Bloomberg in an e-mail on Thursday that Cook had stopped by the new facility. Foxconn employs 120,000 people at the factory, according to Wu.



Cook was first spotted in China at a local Apple store earlier in the week. The company then confirmed that he had been meeting with Chinese officials.



"China is very important to us and we look forward to even greater investment and growth here," the company said.



The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that state media showed Cook meeting with Vice Premier Li Keqiang to discuss "intellectual-property issues and greater cooperation."



The executive's visit to an iPhone production line comes as Apple has come under fire for working conditions at its suppliers' factories. A series of reports on Apple and Foxconn earlier this year stirred up a debate about labor rights in China.



Cook reportedly called allegations that Apple had been aware of rights abuses for years without doing anything about them "patently false and offensive." "We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain," he said in a letter to employees.







Apple CEO Tim Cook touring an iPhone production line at a Foxconn plant in Zhengzhou, China, via MIC Gadget.







The ensuing media frenzy was temporarily exacerbated by false claims by monologue artist Mike Daisey that were aired on the popular radio show "This American Life." The program later retracted the episode after Daisey admitted to having made up large parts of his story. The artist has since apologized to his audiences for violating their trust.



Earlier this year, Apple announced that it had become the first technology company to join the Fair Labor Association. Though the company performs its own audits for its Supplier Responsibility group, it has engaged the FLA to independently verify working conditions at its partner's facilities.



[ View article on AppleInsider ]

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 23
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member
    Apple is showing them selves to be a company that has accountability not only for it's employees and their rights/ care but for the environment.



    Other companies usually either follow or try to discredit Apple.



    And yes there are those of you here that will critique my ability to spell or punctuate my sentences. Please understand that I suffer from a brain injury and at times struggle to post in a manner that only you the elevated critic can and will point out; my flaws. Ah yes and the famous troll thought as well. Have I covered everything?
  • Reply 2 of 23
    cvaldes1831cvaldes1831 Posts: 1,832member
    I will point out that the factories that build Apple products are not run by Apple. The factory workers are employees of other companies like Foxconn (Hon Hai), Pegatron, etc.



    Your ability to spell or punctuate is not in question. Your understanding of Apple's business operations is.



    Apple can be concerned about workers of their worldwide supply chain, but they aren't Apple employees. Their paychecks don't say Apple. Note that these same manufacturing contractors supply products to Apple's competitors (Nokia, Dell, HP, RIMM, etc.).



    Please stay on topic and try avoid turning this into a TrollFest 2012.



    Thank you.
  • Reply 3 of 23
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that state media showed Cook meeting with Vice Premier Li Keqiang to discuss "intellectual-property issues and greater cooperation."



    Vice Premier Li Keqiang also received a $10,000 Apple gift card for being more flexible on the issue of Proview. It seems the Proview owner has suddenly taken up a new hobby; building roads mostly by hand in the most rural areas of China.
  • Reply 4 of 23
    dickprinterdickprinter Posts: 1,060member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tylerk36 View Post


    Apple is showing them selves to be a company that has accountability not only for it's employees and their rights/ care but for the environment.



    Other companies usually either follow or try to discredit Apple.



    And yes there are those of you here that will critique my ability to spell or punctuate my sentences. Please understand that I suffer from a brain injury and at times struggle to post in a manner that only you the elevated critic can and will point out; my flaws. Ah yes and the famous troll thought as well. Have I covered everything?



    Dude, no need to explain yourself. Your post is better and more intelligent than most here.......mine included!



    If any others post otherwise, just use your option to ignore.



    BTW, the thought behind your post is spot-on.
  • Reply 5 of 23
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dickprinter View Post


    Dude, no need to explain yourself. Your post is better and more intelligent than most here.......mine included!



    If any others post otherwise, just use your option to ignore.



    BTW, the thought behind your post is spot-on.



    Ditto.
  • Reply 6 of 23
    C'mon. How did they forget to post this one? How?

    Every chance AppleInsider gets to whip this one out:







  • Reply 7 of 23
    rbryanhrbryanh Posts: 263member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cvaldes1831 View Post


    I will point out that the factories that build Apple products are not run by Apple. The factory workers are employees of other companies like Foxconn (Hon Hai), Pegatron, etc.



    Are you implying that corporations bear no responsibility for the labor practices of their subcontractors?
  • Reply 8 of 23
    tyler82tyler82 Posts: 1,100member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post


    C'mon. How did they forget to post this one? How?

    Every chance AppleInsider gets to whip this one out:











    Dudes reputation is TOAST.

    Maybe James Frey needs a roommate.
  • Reply 9 of 23
    Why is the first photo iPhones like a larger screen iPhone ?
  • Reply 10 of 23
    Cooks presence speaks volumes for Apple. Perhaps a sustained occasional visits from Apple high profile execs would help tone down the fear mongering (or not).



    BTW...whoah, it's too early in the early morning to vomit. Maybe a spoiler type alert? This dude gives pigs a bad name. How desperate anyone be for 15 mins . of fame?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post


    C'mon. How did they forget to post this one? How?

    Every chance AppleInsider gets to whip this one out:











  • Reply 11 of 23
    What the hell was he wearing?



    Some cross between a rain slicker and a bad bowling shirt?



    If I were the CEO of Apple I'd insist I'd have to power to not suffer such indignities.
  • Reply 12 of 23
    stourquestourque Posts: 364member
    I think that's Chris Farley.
  • Reply 13 of 23
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by raymondinperth View Post


    Why is the first photo iPhones like a larger screen iPhone ?



    They're not?
  • Reply 14 of 23
    isheldonisheldon Posts: 570member
    Did he dine on tea and a biscuit?
  • Reply 15 of 23
    isheldonisheldon Posts: 570member




    Quote:

    We must destroy Googlezilla!



  • Reply 16 of 23
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member




    The Man in the Yellow Mac.
  • Reply 17 of 23
    haarhaar Posts: 563member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tylerk36 View Post


    Apple is showing them selves to be a company that has accountability not only for it's employees and their rights/ care but for the environment.



    Other companies usually either follow or try to discredit Apple.



    And yes there are those of you here that will critique my ability to spell or punctuate my sentences. Please understand that I suffer from a brain injury and at times struggle to post in a manner that only you the elevated critic can and will point out; my flaws. Ah yes and the famous troll thought as well. Have I covered everything?



    Everyone has the right to be treated equally... we do not know of your injurys, and do not need to know... i suffer from what is known as "typonese" and proofread, proofread, proofread. to avoid it.

    sorry



    TL;DR:

    So, is it true that they color code the "smocks" to show who is allowed in certain areas?

    heard about this in an article that described the LCD plants. because they are so secretive (due to competitiion and trade secrets)
  • Reply 18 of 23
    tinman0tinman0 Posts: 168member
    All this speculation that Mr Cook was in China - and I thought it was because he was on holiday....



    How wrong was I?
  • Reply 19 of 23
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rbryanh View Post


    Are you implying that corporations bear no responsibility for the labor practices of their subcontractors?



    They may bear responsibility at some level, but whether you can do much about it is situational.



    For example, if you are a rail company, are you going to tell GE Locomotive how to manage its labor practices?



    That, then, raises a moral conundrum: do you only put the screws on those with whom you can? I would consider that highly hypocritical.
  • Reply 20 of 23
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rbryanh View Post


    Are you implying that corporations bear no responsibility for the labor practices of their subcontractors?



    No, he was just reminding Tyler that Foxconn emplyees are not Apple employees. A lot of people blur the lines, not just Tyler, so it needs repeating until everyone stops doing it.



    Also, I'd like to take another opportunity to remind you that Apple does not belong in your category of Evil Corporation. They are post-corporate, a new type of entity based on humane values. Their stated objective from the beginning has been to change the world for the better.



    You may scoff if you like, but it's the damn truth. It's how they got to be so successful.
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