Apple CEO Tim Cook said Monday the American tech giant's present achievements would not be possible without Chinese partners, as he was to attend the 2nd China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing.
It's Cook's third visit to China within a year and his first-time presence at the supply chain-themed expo, scheduled for November 26-30 at the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing.
"I'm thrilled to be here and I'm so proud that Apple has an exhibit here with our partners," Cook said while touring the expo in the company of Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
"I valued them very highly. We could not do what we do without them," he said.
More than 80 percent of Apple's 200 major suppliers have factories in China.
As the world's first exhibition with the theme of supply chain, the China International Supply Chain Expo aims to connect upstream, midstream and downstream sectors, bring together large, medium-sized and small enterprises, coordinate industry, academia, research and practical application, and foster interaction between Chinese and international businesses.
It serves four significant functions of promoting trade, fostering investment cooperation, aggregating innovation, and encouraging learning and exchange. The expo is committed to creating a new window for promoting high levels of openness, a fresh platform supporting the establishment of a new development paradigm, as well as a new vehicle for promoting the construction of an open world economy.
Themed "Connecting the World for a Shared Future," the second edition vertically showcases advanced concepts, products, and technologies of relevant industrial chains, and horizontally showcases supporting services such as finance and insurance, logistics and distribution, business consulting, and legal service.
Apple values highly Chinese partners: CEO
Apple values highly Chinese partners: CEO
The upcoming visit by mainland universities to Taiwan will promote exchanges between young people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, said Hsiao Hsu-tsen, executive director of the Taiwan-based Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation, the organizer of the event.
The foundation announced on Nov 4 that it plans to invite 40 faculty members and students from seven mainland universities to visit the island, following a successful visit by mainland college students in 2023.
"I believe the upcoming exchange holds great promise. After all, the future of both sides of the Taiwan Strait lies in the young people, especially high school and college students, who serve as the seedlings and the foundation. We hope that the young people on both sides will have more interactions. It is our responsibility to lay a solid foundation for our next generation, whether in Taiwan or on the mainland, so that they can have a brighter future. Our actions and words show that we don't want war, we want peace; we don't want 'Taiwan independence', we want the two sides to continue to communicate. This is the real voice of Taiwan," said Hsiao.
The visit is scheduled to start on Nov 27 and will last nine days and eight nights.
The mainland students and teachers are from Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhejiang University, Fujian Normal University and Beijing Sport University. The students will include Olympic champions, table tennis gold medalist Ma Long from Beijing Sport University, and shooting gold medalist Yang Qian from Tsinghua University.
They will visit six universities in Taiwan, including Taiwan University, Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu, Chengchi University, Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Chinese Culture University in Taiwan, and Chang Gung University, as well as the Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Girls High School.
The itinerary will also include visits to scenic spots such as Sun Moon Lake so that mainland students will have an in-depth understanding of Taiwan's history and natural beauty. Additionally, the foundation will arrange baseball experience activities, allowing mainland students to engage firsthand with Taiwan's popular baseball culture.
This is the second such visit planned by the foundation. In 2023, faculty members and students from five mainland universities were warmly received across Taiwan, positively impacting cross-Strait relations.
In 2023 and 2024, Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang, also led youth groups from Taiwan on visits to the mainland.
Mainland universities' visit to promote exchanges between youth on both sides of Taiwan Strait: organizer
