Apple executive chair Tim Cook met Guangdong governor Meng Fanli in Guangzhou on Sunday 11 October, according to the provincial readout published by Nanfang Daily. Cook said Guangdong is crucial to Apple’s development in China and that the company is keen to expand its business in the province, exploring more cooperation with local cities and companies on supply chain collaboration, smart and green manufacturing, its innovation ecosystem and sales channels.
Meng welcomed Apple’s deeper investment, invited the company to place more innovative products, new businesses and research and development platforms in Guangdong, and pledged to create a “first-class business environment” for companies including Apple. Guangdong hosts many of Apple’s suppliers and developers and remains a critical manufacturing hub.
It is Cook’s third visit to China this year and his first since becoming executive chair, AppleInsider noted. During the trip he stopped by an Apple Store in Guangzhou, where he watched a local creator filming a martial arts video with an iPhone 18 Pro. On Saturday he wrote on Weibo: “Great to be back in China!”
Cook’s two earlier visits in 2026 included a March trip for Apple’s 50th anniversary and the China Development Forum, and a May journey as part of a US business delegation accompanying President Trump’s meeting with President Xi Jinping. Cook handed the CEO role to John Ternus earlier this year and now serves as executive chair. He has said he will not interfere in Ternus’s decisions.