Tim Cook Praises Apple's 'Symbiotic Relationship' With China During Beijing Visit

[Shirasaki]

Apple still thinks they can get away with ever increasing Chinese government hostility towards western world and continue to provide their hardware and software in that country?
At some point, the political cost would be too big to bear and Apple may have no choice but to Leave. Not today, but I don’t know when.

 

[5105973]

I'm still curious as to how Apple's $1 Billion investment in Didi Chuxing paid off for them, the shareholders and the customers. $1 Billion was made in investment on China's competitor to Uber. Was all this to benefit the development of the fabled Apple car? Was it really for some other purpose like greasing the wheels, so to speak, for Apple's other business in China? Once the initial hype over that news died down I never really found out much else about how that investment fared. It was no small amount.

Yet apparently Apple doesn't have enough resources to keep staff levels sufficient to focus on both OS development AND development on the AR glasses here in Cupertino? (I'm going on recent articles here that implied such. Personally I otherwise would have thought such an assertion absurd).

Tim Cook in particular has been such a huge cheerleader for China on a level I've not seen expressed by any other CEO. I appreciate that he must appreciate their work ethic, efficiency and productivity, but surely he has to recognize the danger to his own country posed by contributing to the economic engine that directly benefits the CCP.

 

[pianostar9]

Does he praise their treatment of the Uyghurs? How about Tibet?

A parasitic relationship is still symbiotic

 

[spartan1967]

Tim should have paid a visit to Taiwan after so he could see the fireworks show China would have put on for him.

 

[Aston441]

They're getting fat. I wonder what's doing it... Office work lifestyle? Is Apple shipping their Chinese workers McDonalds in exchange for iPhones? That's some prime American<>Chinese symbiosis right there!

 

[MacWiz_007]

Tim Cook is one of the biggest hypocritical scum bags on this planet.

 

[phenste]

Does he praise their treatment of the Uyghurs? How about Tibet?

or uhh…god forbid…Taiwan, whose flag emoji they were forced to remove by this country?

I’m sure other people have said this; I don’t care enough to read through other comments. this was a terrible headline to wake up to.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Great photo! But he needs to be stepped down. It’s getting embarrassing now.

 

[lysingur]

Apple can't build iPhones without China. If you take China out of the equation, an iPhone would cost 50% more, at the very least.

There is only so much in its production line that Apple can reshore and there is only so much de-globalization a company like Apple can take before its entire business model falls apart. By relying so much on the iPhone for its revenue, it almost seems inevitable that, like Credit Suisse, another titan will fall.

People will talk about Tim Cook five or six years from now how he made a huge miscalculation in not developing another product to replace the iPhone as the new cash cow. He took the easy way out, which is resting on Apple's laurels. Well, the reckoning is coming for being complacent and taking things for granted.

 

[twolf2919]

>"Apple and China . . . grew together and so this has been a symbiotic kind of relationship,"

If I was China, I would be extremely concerned. China views themselves as being independent from western companies. If Tim Cook believes that China needs Apple to survive, it almost seems like he's daring China to kick Apple out.

I hope that quote won't come back to bite Apple.

Huh? The statement you quoted is simply a statement of fact: Apple gained via access to the Chinese market and China gained by Apple creating jobs in the country. There are no statements about what Tim Cook (or the Chinese government) believe -so you're basing your opinion on basically nothing.

 

[lysingur]

I'm still curious as to how Apple's $1 Billion investment in Didi Chuxing paid off for them, the shareholders and the customers. $1 Billion was made in investment on China's competitor to Uber. Was all this to benefit the development of the fabled Apple car? Was it really for some other purpose like greasing the wheels, so to speak, for Apple's other business in China? Once the initial hype over that news died down I never really found out much else about how that investment fared. It was no small amount.

Yet apparently Apple doesn't have enough resources to keep staff levels sufficient to focus on both OS development AND development on the AR glasses here in Cupertino? (I'm going on recent articles here that implied such. Personally I otherwise would have thought such an assertion absurd).

Tim Cook in particular has been such a huge cheerleader for China on a level I've not seen expressed by any other CEO. I appreciate that he must appreciate their work ethic, efficiency and productivity, but surely he has to recognize the danger to his own country posed by contributing to the economic engine that directly benefits the CCP.

The rot inside Apple runs deep. It's only just getting exposed. Apple hasn't really moved the needle in terms of groundbreaking technological advances besides Apple Silicon for a decade and all the while hemorrhaged billions making movies and TV shows that have no long-term revenue-generating potential.

Apple's inability to ship an EV after close to a decade of development speaks volumes of Tim Cook's (in)ability to lead.

I said it before and I say it now. Get rid of him before it's too late.

 

[currocj]

Tim Cook is one of the biggest hypocritical scum bags on this planet.

I think you just described a whole boatload of people in positions of power

 

[MNJohn]

Wow what a great photo. Tim Cook and Apple bringing two countries together.

Kind of like the way Tokyo Rose brought the US and Japan closer?

 

[twolf2919]

The one country we could do with a little less involvement with, at least until they learn how to treat their own citizens better.

Hm - "better" can be very subjective. We, in West have a tendency to judge other countries by our standards - but those standards changed over our history and are also based on the resources & limitations of our countries. Is it really fair to judge a country that has been trying for less than 50 years to bring up the standard of living of their 1.5 billion people to a country with only 300 million people and which has had 300 years to get to its current standard of living?

I'm not making excuses for China's repression of various minorities in their country - but perhaps we should look a bit more at our own history before casting stones. E.g. China's repression of the Uyghurs is but child's play compared to what the US did to the native Americans or the West's use of slavery to benefit their countries.

China has nearly accomplished in 50 years, what took those countries centuries. It raised more people out of abject poverty than the entire populations of the US and Europe combined. Yes, the country has human rights issues and we don't like its non-democratic system of government. But there's no denying its success either. And what country is without problems? We chastise the Chinese for their treatment of the Uyghurs - yet here at home in the US, we allow 20,000+ of our citizens to be killed by guns every year. We lost 2 million+ people to Covid because our leaders thought that drinking bleach will cure it. Our children need armed teachers because they're afraid of the next mass shooting. China has none of those issues. Their children are safe in schools and nobody dies in mass shootings; despite being a 5 times bigger country, they had 1/10th people die from covid. Mass transit and telecom technology in China far outclasses the decrepit systems we have in this country. Medicine & medical treatment is far cheaper there than here. Literacy and educational levels are much higher.....and, finally, let's speak of the military threat China supposedly poses: as far as I know, China has never fought a war outside its borders - US: Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan. Lots of talk by US military haws about how China is accelerating military spending. But if you look at any data, it shows the US still outspending China by 4 to 1.

Sorry for this lengthy response.

 

[MNJohn]

Hm - "better" can be very subjective. We, in West have a tendency to judge other countries by our standards - but those standards changed over our history and are also based on the resources & limitations of our countries. Is it really fair to judge a country that has been trying for less than 50 years to bring up the standard of living of their 1.5 billion people to a country with only 300 million people and which has had 300 years to get to its current standard of living?

I'm not making excuses for China's repression of various minorities in their country - but perhaps we should look a bit more at our own history before casting stones. E.g. China's repression of the Uyghurs is but child's play compared to what the US did to the native Americans or the West's use of slavery to benefit their countries.

China has nearly accomplished in 50 years, what took those countries centuries. It raised more people out of abject poverty than the entire populations of the US and Europe combined. Yes, the country has human rights issues and we don't like its non-democratic system of government. But there's no denying its success either. And what country is without problems? We chastise the Chinese for their treatment of the Uyghurs - yet here at home in the US, we allow 20,000+ of our citizens to be killed by guns every year. We lost 2 million+ people to Covid because our leaders thought that drinking bleach will cure it. Our children need armed teachers because they're afraid of the next mass shooting. China has none of those issues. Their children are safe in schools and nobody dies in mass shootings; despite being a 5 times bigger country, they had 1/10th people die from covid. Mass transit and telecom technology in China far outclasses the decrepit systems we have in this country. Medicine & medical treatment is far cheaper there than here. Literacy and educational levels are much higher.....and, finally, let's speak of the military threat China supposedly poses: as far as I know, China has never fought a war outside its borders - US: Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan. Lots of talk by US military haws about how China is accelerating military spending. But if you look at any data, it shows the US still outspending China by 4 to 1.

Sorry for this lengthy response.

China enables North Korea and Russia in its war against Ukraine, both financially and militarily. That’s all I need to know.

 

[iZac]

I mean calling the relationship symbiotic is very softly assertive. He means China needs Apples business as much as Apple needs their cheap manufacturing. It could be seen as a veiled statement that the factories need to maintain their pricing and delivery capacity, lest Apple move more of its manufacturing to other supply chains in South East Asia and India. The Covid lockdowns and riots late last year likely cost Uncle Tim Billions.

 

[siddavis]

Hm - "better" can be very subjective. We, in West have a tendency to judge other countries by our standards - but those standards changed over our history and are also based on the resources & limitations of our countries. Is it really fair to judge a country that has been trying for less than 50 years to bring up the standard of living of their 1.5 billion people to a country with only 300 million people and which has had 300 years to get to its current standard of living?

I'm not making excuses for China's repression of various minorities in their country - but perhaps we should look a bit more at our own history before casting stones. E.g. China's repression of the Uyghurs is but child's play compared to what the US did to the native Americans or the West's use of slavery to benefit their countries.

China has nearly accomplished in 50 years, what took those countries centuries. It raised more people out of abject poverty than the entire populations of the US and Europe combined. Yes, the country has human rights issues and we don't like its non-democratic system of government. But there's no denying its success either. And what country is without problems? We chastise the Chinese for their treatment of the Uyghurs - yet here at home in the US, we allow 20,000+ of our citizens to be killed by guns every year. We lost 2 million+ people to Covid because our leaders thought that drinking bleach will cure it. Our children need armed teachers because they're afraid of the next mass shooting. China has none of those issues. Their children are safe in schools and nobody dies in mass shootings; despite being a 5 times bigger country, they had 1/10th people die from covid. Mass transit and telecom technology in China far outclasses the decrepit systems we have in this country. Medicine & medical treatment is far cheaper there than here. Literacy and educational levels are much higher.....and, finally, let's speak of the military threat China supposedly poses: as far as I know, China has never fought a war outside its borders - US: Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan. Lots of talk by US military haws about how China is accelerating military spending. But if you look at any data, it shows the US still outspending China by 4 to 1.

Sorry for this lengthy response.

Appreciate the apology for the post - it was warranted. Yes we should judge other countries and cultures by our standards. It's called morality and it has been shaped like you said over centuries of mistakes and learning. It's also called principles. If you don't have any, then yeah you can't apply them. China has been around for these centuries and bears witness to our faults and those of the global community. Excusing them for not coming along fast enough is a joke.

The lack of morality or principles in our current culture is what is driving those issues noted. The ME ME ME and whatever makes ME happy is fine and everyone else must oblige culture is rotting us from the inside out. We are throwing away the centuries of experience and learned morality.

Also, you just take whatever China says as fact. You really think they had so few COVID deaths, that they spend 1/4th of the US on military? Naïve much?

 

[siddavis]

China enables North Korea and Russia in its war against Ukraine, both financially and militarily. That’s all I need to know.

And Iran. Great company here.

 

[siddavis]

I mean calling the relationship symbiotic is very softly assertive. He means China needs Apples manufacturing as much as Apple needs their cheap manufacturing. It could be seen as a veiled statement that the factories need to maintain their pricing and delivery capacity, lest Apple move more of its manufacturing to other supply chains in South East Asia and India. The Covid lockdowns and riots late last year likely cost Uncle Tim Billions.

If this is Apple "getting tough" on China, I'm sad. They really have few issues with trashing the US and various policies back home. Telling someone "we're in this together" doesn't scream harsh and demanding to me. I'm fine with them being apolitical, but apply it evenly, especially in the country that provides the freedom and foundation to flourish.

 

[senttoschool]

Apple still thinks they can get away with ever increasing Chinese government hostility towards western world and continue to provide their hardware and software in that country?

I'd argue that it's the West that has been way more hostile towards China - which in turn is more hostile to the West.

The relationship was fine during Obama's years. It turned ugly during Trump MAGA years.

 

[JM]

America DID do amazing things. America pioneered the microchip, and did amazing things with it. I toured a decommissioned navy vessel a few years ago, and was struck that everything was 'made in America'. Things that 'people' say America can't do anymore. Too many people have been beating the drums for America losing its dominance in manufacturing and high tech, and it's all just entrenched investors realizing that they would lose money if manufacturing was moved back on shore. Billions has been made because the prices haven't gone down but the cost of goods sold has plummeted.

Yes good point, the cost of labor in US is higher than overseas. The “China does it better” might be a line. No reason willing people here couldn’t work on a production line (like over there).

Maybe someone will start up manufacturing at the same level one day here in the US.

 

[senttoschool]

China enables North Korea and Russia in its war against Ukraine, both financially and militarily. That’s all I need to know.

No they don't. Way to spread fake news.

First, it was the US that provoked Russia to attack Ukraine through NATO expansion, which the US promised it wouldn't. It's got nothing to do with China.

And no, China does not enable NK. You can blame the US for the Korean War that created NK. China doesn't want anything to do with NK.

China is not the country that is a war machine. I'll let you guess which country is.

 

[senttoschool]

Great photo! But he needs to be stepped down. It’s getting embarrassing now.

Just stop buying Apple products. Easy. Actually, don't buy any product made or designed in China.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Just stop buying Apple products. Easy. Actually, don't buy any product made or designed in China.

The funny thing is new Apple products are starting to come from India, Vietnam now.

 

[senttoschool]

Does he praise their treatment of the Uyghurs? How about Tibet?

Should Apple leave the US? Its treatments of blacks? Enslaving a whole race? Genocide of a whole continent (Native Americans)? Invading countless countries? Even ones based on lies (weapons of mass destruction)? Installing US friendly dictators in South American countries? Torturing Iraqi prisoners for fun and sport? Would you like a full list of US atrocities?