China pleads with Apple to reinforce data security, privacy protection
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Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been asked by the Chinese government to reinforce its data security and privacy protection.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the National Development and Reform Commission said Chairman Zheng Shanjie made the comments to Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook, who visited the country for the first time in three years.
The news was first reported by Reuters.
Cook was spotted visiting an Apple (AAPL) retail store in Beijing's Sanlitun shopping area and attended the China Development Forum over the weekend, where he praised Apple's (AAPL) relationship with China.
"Apple and China... grew together and so this has been a symbiotic kind of relationship that we have both enjoyed," Cook said at the event, which was hosted by a research center of the State Council.
The comments are notable given that Apple (AAPL) has worked to diversify its assembly operations away from China, despite an estimated 95% of total iPhone supply still coming from the country.
Last year, investment firm J.P. Morgan suggested Apple (AAPL) could shift a quarter of its iPhone production to India by 2025 and expected 5% of its iPhone production this year to move to the country.
On Tuesday, Apple (AAPL) officially released its Buy Now, Pay Later service in the U.S., after a series of technical challenges delayed the launch for months.