ni hao Tim! Apple Woos Chinese Govt, Invasion Continues

Apple invasion continues as Chief Cook hits one of its most lucrative markets to entice governments, telcos to see things the ‘i way’.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted in Beijing this week and rumour has it he has some potentially enormous deals with Chinese telcos on his agenda.

He also met with officials from the Chinese government to discuss Apple’s ambitious expansion plans, which may include partnership deals with China Telecom – the local answer to Telstra, according to reports.

Apple confirmed “Tim is in China meeting with government officials,” a spokesperson told Reuters. “China is very important to us and we look forward to even greater investment and growth there.”

“Captain Cook” as he is fondly known, previously branded China one of its most important markets outside the States with demand for the iPhone “staggering” and was spotted in Apple Store in Beijing this week wooing the locals.

And it looks like Cupertino is looking to spread the Apple revolution further with rumoured meetings with current telco partners in the region China Unicom and China Telecom to discuss the next iPhone.

Cook was also spotted at the office of the country’s biggest telco China Mobile which has yet to carry the iPhone, according to Wall Street Journal.

But there’s also a darker side to Apple’s China invasion, given its appalling track record on local workers employed by Cupertino’s third party suppliers including Foxconn where labour camp style conditions are commonplace as were worker suicides in 2010.

However, Cook has since pledged to clean up Apple’s act.

Apple’s row with local firm Proview over ownership of the name ‘iPad’ may also be on Cook’s “to do” list although a lawyer for Proview denied it was meeting with Cook during his stay.