Braving Trump, Apple’s Cook plans China investment boost

Apple will increase investment in China, the company’s Chief Executive Tim Cook said during a meeting with the country’s industry minister in Beijing on Wednesday, according to an official summary of their exchange.

- Reuters

Many US companies have become cautious about relations with China as the world’s two biggest economies have clashed over trade tariffs and as US President Donald Trump seeks to promote manufacture in the US rather than elsewhere.

But Cook told China’s industry minister Li Lecheng the iPhone maker will keep investing in China, the Chinese ministry said, although the summary gave no details of the size of the projected investment. Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters’ request for comment.

The tech giant, which has also made investment pledges to Washington, has so far managed to be relatively unscathed by the trade war between the United States and China. Other companies, such as Nvidia and Qualcomm have found themselves the target of Chinese investigations.

Washington has long placed sanctions on Chinese companies such as Huawei.