Li Lecheng, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, meets with Apple CEO Tim Cook in Beijing on October 15, 2025. Photo: Official WeChat account of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

Li Lecheng, Minister of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), said on Wednesday that China will continue to foster a more favorable business environment for foreign enterprises, including Apple, while Apple CEO Tim Cook pledged to further expand investment and deepen cooperation in China.

The remarks came as Li met with Cook in Beijing on Wednesday, coinciding with the Apple chief's latest visit to China this week.

During the meeting, the two exchanged views on topics including Apple's business development in China and how to enhance cooperation in the electronics and information sector, according to a news release from the MIIT.

Li noted that China's vast market and comprehensive industrial system offer immense potential for investment and consumption.

China remains unwavering in advancing high-level opening-up, and is vigorously promoting "intelligent industrialization" and "industrial intellectualization," Li said, adding that China will continue to foster a favorable business environment for foreign enterprises, including Apple. 

Li expressed hope that Apple will further deepen its roots in the Chinese market, actively participate in China's new industrialization drive, and collaborate with its upstream and downstream partners in the industrial chain for innovative development, according to the press release.

Cook thanked the ministry for its support of Apple's business development in China. He added that Apple will continue to increase investment in China and further elevate the level and depth of its cooperation with the country to achieve mutually beneficial and win-win development, according to the MIIT release.

Ma Jihua, a veteran industry analyst specializing in telecommunications and the internet sector, told the Global Times that Apple's continued operations in China have been given strong support by the Chinese government. "This reflects China's consistent commitment to globalization and win-win cooperation, in sharp contrast to the deliberate approach of certain countries to sanction and contain companies from other countries," Ma added.

Cook's highly interactive visit shows that Apple places great importance on the Chinese market and values its ties with China. 

Just a month after the launch of the iPhone 17, Cook was back in China. On Monday, the tech executive visited Shanghai, where he toured a Pop Mart exhibition and later made a surprise appearance in a Douyin livestream to announce the launch of the iPhone Air.

This is Cook's second visit to China in 2025, following his trip to Beijing in late March to attend the 2025 China Development Forum. 

"I always want to come back [to China]. There's always so much change. It's so dynamic. I love the Chinese people and culture and it's wonderful to be in Shanghai," Cook said during a media interview on Wednesday. 

Apple is seeking to further integrate itself into China's innovation ecosystem, a move that is crucial for the company, Ma emphasized. 

A day earlier, on Tuesday, Apple Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan and his delegation visited Lens Technology's subsidiary, Lens Precision, in Taizhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, to learn about the company's practices in smart manufacturing, green production, and talent cultivation, according to a news release from the company. 

Lens Technology is a key link in Apple's supply chain, involved in multiple product lines including the iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro, per the company's release. 

Apple's shipments in China grew 0.6 percent from the year before to 10.8 million units in the third quarter. This is amid sluggish demand in China's smartphone market, based on data issued by research firm IDC on Wednesday, Singapore based the Business Times reported.

On Tuesday, Apple said that its local suppliers have launched an investment fund of 1 billion yuan ($150 million), aimed at supporting the construction of renewable power infrastructure in China.

More than 90 percent of its manufacturing in China is powered by renewable energy, which stems from a decade-long close partnership between Apple and more than 100 suppliers in the market, the company said. 

Our suppliers in China are making rapid and remarkable progress in transitioning to renewable energy, and we're proud to partner with them in this critical work, Apple's Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan was quoted as saying in a Chinese release on the company's official website on Tuesday.

Ma said that amid a global supply chain reshuffle, the stability, scale, and innovative potential of the Chinese market stand out more than ever.

"For companies around the world, China is not only an open market with a population of 1.4 billion, but also a dynamic source of new growth," Ma noted. "Win-win cooperation with China will be key to future development."

According to data released by the Ministry of Commerce on September 19, 42,435 foreign-invested enterprises were established in the Chinese mainland from January to August, increasing 14.8 percent year-on-year.