Minister of Industry and Information Technology meets Cook
2min read Apple CEO Cook's "China tour" has new developments.According to "CETC's Weibo", on October 23, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong met with Apple CEO Cook in Beijing, exchanging views on Apple's development in China, network data security management, cloud services and other topics.Jin Zhuanglong said that in recent years, China has opened up the telecommunications industry in an orderly manner, creating new opportunities for foreign enterprises to invest and do business in China. China will continue to expand high-level opening-up, vigorously promote the digital industry and industrial digitalization, and provide more opportunities and a better environment for foreign investors. He hopes that Apple will continue to focus on the Chinese market, increase its R&D investment, and grow together with Chinese enterprises to share the dividends of high-quality development.Cook said that Apple is willing to actively seize the opportunities of China's opening-up, and will continue to increase its investment in China, helping the high-quality development of the industrial chain and supply chain.It is understood that Apple has continuously increased its investment in China in recent years. On October 10, Apple's Applied Research Lab in Shenzhen's Heatsink Park officially opened for operation. The lab is positioned as Apple's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macrolink R&D Center, which is the largest lab outside the United States, and will develop a team of more than 1,000 high-end talents from China and abroad.The first phase of the Apple Applied Research Lab covers an area of 20,000 square meters, mainly conducting hardware development, smart manufacturing and joint R&D with local suppliers, enhancing testing and research capabilities for iPhone, iPad, AppleVisionPro and other products. At the same time, the lab will establish a deep cooperative relationship with local enterprises in Shenzhen to form a complete industrial chain from product design, R&D to pilot production for Apple's new products.According to Apple's planning, the lab covers Apple's Greater China business, and will further consolidate Shenzhen's core position in Apple's smart manufacturing and supply chain. In the past five years, Apple's R&D team in China has grown by more than 100%.In addition to investing in R&D and innovation, Apple has also invested in the new energy sector. In 2018, Apple established the China Clean Energy Fund and invested in the construction of more than 10 gigawatts of wind and solar projects in 14 provinces in China, which are expected to provide more than 24,000 gigawatt hours of renewable energy every year.Behind the investment in new energy is Apple's "carbon neutrality" strategy. At the 2024 ESG Global Leader Conference, Apple's Vice President and General Manager of Greater China, Jeffrey E. Williams, said that Apple aims to achieve "carbon neutrality" across its entire value chain by 2030. More than 320 manufacturers worldwide have made commitments to use 100% clean energy to produce Apple products by 2030, including more than 80 suppliers in China.
