Apple CEO Tim Cook expects continued growth for ‘cutting-edge’ Chinese software developers amid rising geopolitical tensions

Apple’s five million registered software developers in Greater China account for about a sixth of the company’s 30-million-strong developer community worldwide

Tim Cook’s recent discussions with a new generation of Chinese software developers reflect Apple’s long-standing business interests in the country

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Apple chief executive Tim Cook poses in front of a row of new MacBook Airs running M2 chips on display at the opening of the tech giant’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6, 2022 at its headquarters in Cupertino, California. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:30pm, 14 Jun 2022Updated: 11:24pm, 14 Jun 2022

Apple chief executive Tim Cook has heaped encouragement and praise on Chinese software developers’ contribution to the US technology giant’s global ecosystem, according to mainland media reports on Tuesday, amid rising geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions on the mainland.

“Chinese developers have always been at the cutting edge, and I think that will continue to grow,” Cook told Chinese tech media Shaoshupai on the sidelines of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) last week. This annual event was held from June 6 to 10 at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.

“I cannot wait to see what you are going to do next,” Cook said. In a video released by China Daily on Tuesday, Cook was quoted as saying that the five million registered Apple developers in Greater China, which includes Hong Kong, account for about a sixth of the company’s 30-million-strong developer community around the world.

They have made the region “one of the most vibrant developer communities in the entire world”, he said.

A large audience, including journalists and industry analysts, are seen before the start of a keynote address at the opening of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6, 2022 at the US tech giant’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Photo: Xinhua

Cook also held talks with several Chinese developers last week, according to Chinese media reports. These include Blink Academy founder Lin Jiashu, creator of camera apps Nomo and Protake; Liang Yilun, co-founder of Hangzhou-based Miidii Tech; and Liu Wei, co-founder of video games developer miHoYo.