Tim Cook Makes First China Visit Since Stepping Down as CEO, to Attend Tsinghua Advisory Board Meeting

Visits iPhone 18 Pro Filming Set in Guangzhou
Apple Doubles Investment in China's Clean Energy Fund

Apple Chairman Tim Cook visited China for the first time last month since stepping down as CEO. After visiting the set in Guangzhou where a new iPhone product was being filmed, he is also scheduled to attend the annual meeting of Tsinghua University's advisory board in Beijing.

On October 10, Cook posted photos on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, from his visit to Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, in southern China. It was his first public visit to China in seven months, since March this year.

Apple Chairman Tim Cook. The Asia Business Daily DB.

Cook visited the set where young Chinese director Gu Tianzhi was filming a short video titled "Yingchun" on Apple's new smartphone, the iPhone 18 Pro. He met with Gu and Dai Zilong, a Wing Chun practitioner. On Weibo, he wrote, "I'm happy to be back in China," adding, "In Guangzhou, I experienced the allure of Wing Chun for the first time through the lens of the iPhone 18 Pro, and it was truly an unforgettable experience."

China Daily, a state-run Chinese newspaper, reported that Apple increased its investment commitment to China's Clean Energy Fund from $100 million to $212 million (about KRW 284 billion) to coincide with Cook's visit to China. The increase reflects investment commitments from suppliers in China.

Cook is also scheduled to attend the 27th annual meeting of the advisory board of Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management, to be held in Beijing on October 13 and 14. He has chaired the board since 2019.

Cook, who served as Apple's CEO from 2011 to 2026, frequently visited China during his tenure and worked to strengthen ties with the country, a key market and manufacturing hub. He has continued his public engagements since stepping down as CEO, including attending a state banquet last month as Apple's representative during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.