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Amid trade war and spying claims, Apple CEO Tim Cook turns on the charm in China

These are trying times to be an American company operating in China, let alone an American tech giant that counts on China for contract manufacturing and sales

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Apple CEO Tim Cook, who is in China this week, seen speaking during an event at the Steve Jobs theatre at Apple Park on September 12, 2018 in Cupertino, California. Photo: AFP
The Washington Post

Tim Cook was all smiles at the Chaoyang Future School in Beijing on Wednesday, watching high school students use Apple Pencils on iPads.

“I’m incredibly impressed by the talent and passion of your students, teachers and staff,” the Apple chief executive wrote in a post in Chinese and English on Weibo, the local version of Twitter.

His note gushed about being at “truly a model school” that used a curriculum promoted by Apple. Local media reports noted that Cook seemed “in a very good mood” – perhaps with some surprise.

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After all, these are trying times to be an American company operating in China, let alone an American tech giant that counts on China for contract manufacturing and sales.

Although Apple largely dodged the tariffs President Donald Trump imposed on Chinese imports last month, it is still caught in the middle of the increasingly acrimonious trade war.

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