China pledges 'better environment' for investors during Cook visit

China's industry chief told Apple CEO Tim Cook in Beijing yesterday that he hoped the US tech giant would continue to "deepen" its presence in the country, an official statement read.

China is a vital market for Apple, but recent years have seen the firm battle slumping sales in the face of increasingly stiff competition in the smartphone sector from local rivals.

Industry minister Jin Zhuanglong told Cook that he hoped "Apple would continue to deepen its presence in the Chinese market."

Jin hoped Apple would "increase investment in innovation, grow alongside Chinese firms and share in the dividends of high-quality investment."

"We will continue to expand high-level opening up," Jin told Cook, adding that China would strive to provide a "better environment" for global investors.

The two exchanged views on topics including "Apple's development in China, network data security management and cloud services."

It is Cook's second visit this year, a trip that has seen him meet university students and try out the iPhone 16 camera in a historic Beijing district with fashion photographer Chen Man.

The iPhone remains popular among Chinese consumers, but its sales have come under pressure recently from local competitors, including Huawei.

The firm fell to sixth place in a ranking of smartphone vendors in China during the second quarter of the year - from number three during the same period last year, according to analysis firm Canalys.

"It's great to be back in Beijing," Cook wrote.

Apple reported a US$21.4-billion (HK$166.27 billion) profit in the three months ending in June, on US$85.8 billion in revenue over the period - a 5 percent jump from a year ago.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE