Apple number Tim Cook claimed to have had an "exceptional" meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang.
"I think China is really opening up and I'm so happy to be here," added the manager, speaking to CGTN, the English-language channel of the state network CCTV.
Cook is the highest profile manager from Corporate America present at the China Development Forum, the most important international business conference in the Dragon which opened its doors today in Beijing, just when the communist leadership is trying to reverse the decline in foreign investments in the country.
The number one of the Cupertino company stated that Apple will continue to increase its investments in research and development in China, specifying that its flagship mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, would arrive on shelves in China by the end of this year, according to a post bounced on the social networks of state media which reported his observations only in the Chinese translation.
In his panel discussion on global climate governance, Cook noted that China-based Apple suppliers have helped drive gains in more sustainable manufacturing, including reducing water consumption and recycling metals like aluminum and cobalt, up to 100%.
Cook began his mission in China on Wednesday, inaugurating the second largest Apple flagship store in the world after the one in New York, on Fifth Avenue in Shanghai.
On Friday, however, he discussed the company's expansion plans in China with Trade Minister Wang Wentao.
In addition to the head of the Cupertino company, the Forum is also attended by a large delegation of top managers, including DarrenWoods of ExxonMobil and Noel Quinn of HSBC.
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