Tim Cook visits China for the third time in 2026

Tim Cook is visiting China for the third time this year, with talks in Guangdong focused on expanding Apple’s manufacturing and sales operations, the South China Morning Post reports.

This is Cook’s first trip to China in his capacity as executive chairman of Apple. He took office on September 1 when John Ternus took over as CEO. Apple said part of Cook’s job involves dealing with government policymakers.

On October 11, Cook reportedly held talks with Guangdong Governor Meng Fanli. Suppliers and partners located in Guangdong play a major role in Apple’s business in China, and Cook has reportedly expressed interest in doing more locally through smart manufacturing and additional sales channels. Meng said the province would support further expansion, including research and development.

In Guangzhou, a creator used an iPhone 18 Pro to capture martial arts footage while Cook watched. Cook posted “Great to be back in China!” on Weibo on Saturday. Customers also reported visiting one of Guangzhou’s Apple Stores on Sunday.

Cook visited Chengdu and Beijing in March as Apple celebrated its 50th anniversary and spoke at the China Development Forum. In May, he was among the business leaders who accompanied President Donald Trump during his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The trip comes several weeks after sales of the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max began. Counterpoint Research placed Apple first in China’s smartphone sales rankings from September 14 to 20. In their first three days on sale in China, the new Pro phones sold 12% more units than their predecessors did in the first full week of availability last year.

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