Tim Cook visits China as Apple expands supplier ties

Tim Cook, Apple CEO, visited an Apple Store in Chengdu this week as part of the company’s 50th anniversary events.

Sabih Khan, chief operating officer, met suppliers including Sunwoda‘s battery plant in Shenzhen and Foxconn’s iPhone assembly lines, local media reported.

Apple reported US$25.5 billion in Greater China revenue in the quarter ended December and US$71.4 billion for 2025, or 16% of global sales, in its January earnings statement.

Last week Apple said it would cut App Store commission fees in China, lowering the rate on in-app purchases and paid transactions to 25% from 30%. Fees for developers in its small business and mini-app partner programmes were reduced to 12% from 15%.

Ge Yue, Apple’s vice-president and managing director for Greater China, was quoted by the National Business Daily as saying Apple’s Shenzhen Applied Research Laboratory works closely with nearly 200 suppliers in the surrounding area.

🔗 Source: South China Morning Post

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Apple’s China visit masks a fierce market share battle

Huawei led China’s smartphone market for the full 2025 calendar year, with Apple close behind despite strong Greater China revenue 1.
Huawei shipped 46.7 million phones for a 16.4% share, edging Apple at 46.2 million and 16.2% 1.
Huawei’s rebound came from its self-developed Kirin chips, plus a 69% share of China’s foldable phone market where Apple has no product 1.
Apple rallied in the fourth quarter, reaching a 21.1% single-quarter share after the September launch of the iPhone 17 series 1.

Apple’s charm offensive belies a quiet supply chain pivot

Executive visits support China sales, while Apple shifts some global manufacturing away from the country 2.
The “China + 1” approach moves part of production to other countries. Apple reportedly plans to assemble all iPhones for the U.S. market, more than 60 million units a year, in India by the end of 2026 3.
One driver is lower exposure to potential U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. CNBC said the combined effective rate could reach 54% 4.
China still anchors production for devices sold outside the U.S., so supplier relationships there stay essential even as U.S.-bound assembly shifts 2.