Apple's Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams （right） visits a Chinese partner GoerTek on March 24, 2025, in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province. Photo: Courtesy of GoerTek

US tech giant Apple's Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams on Tuesday reaffirmed commitment to ongoing large-scale investments in China during a visit to Chinese suppliers and also expressed strong confidence in the future prospects of the collaboration.

During a visit to Luxshare Precision, he toured the company's component factory in Changshu, East China's Jiangsu Province, news portal nbs.com reported. He emphasized to the accompanying media that China is a particularly important market.

The Chinese market is a key part of Apple's supply chain, with the company having invested in the Chinese market for 30 years, he said. He said Apple will always remain in China, a position he believes will not change, and added that the company will continue to make substantial investments in the country, according to the report.

More than 80 percent of Apple's 200 major suppliers manufacture in China, Williams said, adding that Chinese suppliers impress him with their “can do” culture. 

He also visited another major Chinese supplier, GoerTek, on Monday.

The company established deep collaboration with Apple in 2010 in areas such as microphones, speakers, receivers, precision structural components, optical components, and the assembly of products like AirPods, AirPods Max, and HomePod, the company said on its official WeChat account on Tuesday.

The visit came on the heels of the China Development Forum 2025, which was closed on Monday. The forum attracted more than 750 foreign representatives, including 118 official representatives and 86 business representatives. Multinational companies from a wide range of countries participated, and the number of first-time participants reached a record high.

Several senior Apple executives have recently reaffirmed their commitment to investing in and collaborating with China, emphasizing their aim to maintain a long-term partnership with the Chinese market as part of Apple's global strategy.

Apple CEO Tim Cook also visited China to attend the China Development Forum 2025.

On Monday, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao met with Cook. They discussed Apple's development in China and the stability of industrial and supply chains, according to the ministry.

Wang stressed that China will resolutely advance high-standard opening-up and make steady progress in institutional opening-up covering rules, regulations, management and standards, and stated that China stands ready to provide an enabling environment and services for foreign-invested enterprises in China, including Apple. 

Cook stated that Apple's growth in China exemplifies mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. The company will continue to expand its investments in supply chain, research and development, and social welfare in China, contributing to the country's high-quality development.

Industry insiders said China's dynamic ecosystem and stable market environment are key factors behind Apple's strong preference for the Chinese market.

Chinese suppliers' ability to quickly allocate labor and adjust production lines is a key requirement for Apple's supply chain management, Chen Jing, a vice president of the Technology and Strategy Research Institute, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

"Apple's needs go beyond mere production; the company requires a system that can respond swiftly, adapt flexibly, and continuously evolve," he said.

China's supply chains offer more than just the well-known advantages of "low costs" and "high efficiency," Chen noted. "It is backed by a complex and robust industrial ecosystem. This comprehensive, 'end-to-end' capability is unmatched by any other country. In addition to components, China also has a logistics system capable of managing peak iPhone production periods."

Meanwhile, he explained that Williams' reference to "get it done and make it happen" highlights Chinese suppliers' ability to "proactively solve problems," a capability unmatched by other countries. Apple collaborates with Chinese suppliers to tackle complex manufacturing challenges, rather than merely transferring technology. Increasingly, Chinese suppliers are playing a key role in developing core technologies, such as screens and optical lenses.

Apple announced on Monday that it will launch a new phase of its clean energy fund in China, with an investment of up to 720 million yuan ($104 million), the company said on its official website.