Apple to open R&D centre in China
Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook, on his second visit to China, has met with government officials to discuss potential future investment opportunities.
According to reports from The Wall Street Journal, Apple is planning to open its first research and development centre in the country later this year. Apple announced that Chinese touchscreen glass supplier Lens Technology has committed to run its Apple-focused operations using renewable energy by the end of 2018.
Lens CEO Zhou Qunfei said: "We're pleased to be the first supplier to commit to covering all of our Apple production with renewable energy, and proud to source from local Hunan wind farms to power our facilities in Changsha."
Earlier this year Apple announced that it would be investing $1 billion in China’s answer to Uber - Didi Chuxing – in a bid to improve its standing in the country. Apple’s iTunes and iBookstore were recently closed down by Chinese authorities, and sales have been slow for the past two quarters.
Commenting on Apple’s recent earnings, Cook said: "We remain very optimistic about the long-term opportunities in Greater China and we continue to invest there.”
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SOURCE: [The Verge]
