Sichuan Governor Shi Xiaolin Meets Apple CEO Tim Cook in Chengdu

Meeting and messages

Sichuan Governor Shi Xiaolin (施小琳) hosted Apple CEO Tim Cook in Chengdu (成都) on March 19, the Sichuan provincial government said. Shi congratulated Apple on its 50th anniversary and thanked the company for contributions to Sichuan’s economy, urging Apple to deepen retail, China technical support, and supply‑chain projects in the province. Cook thanked Sichuan for its support and described the province as “vital” to Apple’s China strategy, saying he hopes the two sides will expand cooperation and remain close partners.

Also attending were Vice Governor Ren Jingdong (任京东), Chengdu Mayor Chen Shuping (陈书平), provincial secretary‑general Hu Yuankun (胡元坤) and Apple executives including Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan (萨比赫·汗), General Counsel Jennifer Newstead (珍妮·纽斯特德) and senior vice presidents Ge Yue (葛越) and Cui Yushan (崔玉善).

Context: events, supply chain visits and geopolitics

It has been reported that Chengdu was the Asia‑Pacific launch stop for Apple’s 50th‑anniversary global celebration, held in the Chunxi Road shopping district, making the city the second global stop after New York’s Grand Central. It has also been reported that Apple COO Sabih Khan recently visited a Sunwoda (欣旺达) battery plant and Foxconn (富士康) iPhone and iPad assembly lines in Shenzhen and Chengdu, underscoring the company’s deep manufacturing ties in China.

Why Chengdu? Provincial officials point to Sichuan’s large market, a growing electronics cluster and an “AI+” innovation push that they say create room for foreign investors. But this meeting also comes against a backdrop of U.S.‑China tensions, export controls and Western scrutiny of tech supply chains — factors that make local government relationships and diversified on‑shore capacity strategically important for global firms like Apple. Sichuan pledged to keep improving a market‑oriented, rule‑of‑law, international business environment to secure further investment and mutual gains.