Apple CEO Tim Cook visits Shanghai amid a slowdown in China iPhone sales

Apple CEO Tim Cook is in Shanghai to inaugurate a new retail location and address decreasing iPhone sales, according to a post on his official Weibo account on Wednesday.

A video linked to the tweet shows Cook strolling through one of the city’s famous tourist districts and eating breakfast with Chinese actor and television star Zheng Kai.

According to a news release issued Monday, the new retail store, located in the city’s Jing’an area, will open on Thursday.

Cook frequently travels to China, a key market and production base for Apple, to introduce products, open facilities, and meet with local leaders. Earlier this month, Apple revealed intentions to expand its research facilities in Shanghai and Shenzhen.

His recent trip also comes as reports show that iPhone sales in China fell 24% in the first six weeks of 2024 compared to the same time a year ago.

According to analysts, the decrease in sales was caused in part by Apple’s abnormally large shipments at the start of 2023, as well as greater competition from local companies such as Huawei.

Cook paid a visit to China in October of last year after reports suggested that iPhone 15 sales in the nation were lower than those of the previous model.

That trip occurred a month after rumors surfaced that employees at China’s top government institutions were barred from using iPhones for work. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has disputed the reports.

According to a preliminary settlement filed in federal court in Oakland, California, on Friday, Apple agreed to pay $490 million to settle a class-action complaint alleging that Cook misled investors about a sharp drop in iPhone sales in China in November 2018.