Yazılar

Tim Cook reaffirms Apple’s commitment to China amid U.S.-China trade tensions

/in /tarafından

Apple CEO Tim Cook pledged to increase the company’s investment in China during a meeting with China’s Industry Minister Li Lecheng in Beijing on Wednesday, signaling Apple’s intent to strengthen its presence in its most crucial manufacturing hub despite rising geopolitical tensions.

According to an official Chinese summary, Cook said Apple would continue to invest in China, though details of the scale or focus of the investment were not disclosed. The move comes as many U.S. firms tread cautiously between Beijing and Washington, with U.S. President Donald Trump pushing for domestic manufacturing and imposing tariffs that have strained global supply chains.

Apple has so far avoided the direct fallout of the trade war, unlike other tech firms such as Nvidia and Qualcomm, which have faced regulatory challenges in China. Still, the iPhone maker must balance its relationships carefully — reassuring Washington of its “American Manufacturing Program,” while maintaining ties with Chinese suppliers that produce the bulk of its devices.

Earlier this week, Apple COO Sabih Khan visited Lens Technology, a longtime Chinese supplier of iPhone glass components, while Cook toured Apple’s Shanghai store and met with local developers and designers. Apple’s sales in China rose 0.6% year-on-year in the third quarter, aided by strong demand for the iPhone 17 series, making it the only top-three smartphone brand in the country to post growth.

China’s industry minister expressed optimism that Apple would “continue to explore the Chinese market and grow together with Chinese suppliers,” emphasizing Beijing’s intent to sustain a favorable environment for foreign businesses.

Hikvision to appeal Canadian court ruling upholding shutdown order

/in /tarafından

Chinese surveillance camera maker Hikvision said Tuesday it will challenge a Canadian Federal Court decision that upheld Ottawa’s order for the company to cease operations in Canada on national security grounds.

The court dismissed Hikvision’s bid to overturn the June shutdown order, siding with the Canadian government’s argument that the firm’s activities could pose security risks.

A Hikvision spokesperson rejected the claim, saying: “We remain steadfast in our position that our products and technology do not pose a national security threat, and there is no evidence that indicates they have ever presented such a risk to Canada.” The company has notified Ottawa of its intent to pursue arbitration under a 2014 bilateral investment treaty.

Hikvision’s Canadian unit employs 66 staff and sells products through local distributors. While the shutdown order blocks direct operations, it does not explicitly ban the sale of Hikvision products in Canada.

The dispute unfolds against the backdrop of worsening Canada–China relations. Ottawa recently imposed a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs and a 25% tariff on Chinese steel and aluminum, while Beijing retaliated with 75.8% duties on Canadian canola seed imports pending an anti-dumping probe.

The Hikvision case could become another flashpoint in an already fraught trade and diplomatic relationship.

Beijing Robot Store Stocks Einstein Replicas, Chess Partners in AI Leadership Push

/in /tarafından

A new store opening in Beijing this Friday will showcase over 100 humanoid and consumer-oriented robots from more than 40 Chinese brands, including Ubtech Robotics and Unitree Robotics. Among the offerings are life-sized replicas of Albert Einstein designed to teach physics, robotic chess partners, and pet robots, highlighting China’s ambition to lead in artificial intelligence and robotics.

The store adopts a “4S” dealership model—providing sales, spare parts, maintenance, and survey services—catering to a growing consumer market with robot prices ranging from around 2,000 yuan ($278) to several million yuan. Wang Yifan, the store director, noted the importance of customized consumer solutions, stating that mass adoption of robots requires more than just manufacturers’ efforts.

China’s aggressive push into robotics aims to mitigate economic challenges such as its ageing population and slowing growth. The sector benefits from government support with subsidies exceeding $20 billion over the past year, alongside a planned one trillion yuan ($137 billion) fund to back AI and robotics startups.