Apple CEO Tim Cook tours the site of the 2nd China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing on November 25, 2024. Photo: Yuyuan Tantian

 
Apple CEO Tim Cook is on his third business trip to China this year, as he toured the site of the 2nd China International Supply Chain Expo on Monday, according to a video clip of Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV.

Answering a question on Chinese supply chain partners, Cook stated his high regard for Apple's Chinese partners, as Apple "could not do what it does without them."

Apple has some 200 major suppliers, with more than 80 percent producing products in China, according to information at Apple's booth at the supply chain expo.

"I am proud to be here... that Apple has an exhibit here with our partners," said Cook, who is visiting the expo for the first time.

Cook was in China last month, during which he visited Apple's retail store in Beijing's Wangfujing shopping area and a farm where iPhones and iPads are used to help farmers adopt more efficient, sustainable practices.

During the visit, Cook met China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong, and told him that Apple would "continue to grow its investments in China and help the high-quality development of the supply chain," according to a statement by the ministry.

The Apple CEO's first visit to China this year was in March, during which he opened a new flagship Apple store in Shanghai and said "there's no supply chain in the world that's more critical to us than China."

The 2nd China International Supply Chain Expo is set to take place from Tuesday to November 30 in Beijing.

This year the expo spans 120,000 square meters, bringing together over 600 companies, with foreign exhibitors accounting for 32 percent, an increase from last year

Among the foreign vendors, the number of those from the US tops the list, and the numbers of those from Europe and Japan are also significantly higher than 2023, according to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).

Six pivotal industrial chains will be in the spotlight, including advanced manufacturing, green agriculture and digital technology, and over 70 cutting-edge products will be launched.