Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook made a public appearance at an Apple retail location in Chengdu, a southwestern Chinese city, on Wednesday, attending an event that coincided with the company marking its 50th anniversary, according to a post by the Chengdu municipal government on WeChat.
The visit comes shortly after Apple announced a reduction in its standard commission on in-app purchases for the mainland China App Store. Apple said last week that the base commission rate will decline from 30% to 25% for apps distributed on iOS and iPadOS in mainland China. The company said the change took effect on March 15 and posted details on its developer website, noting the adjustment followed conversations with Chinese regulators.
State media response was swift. The flagship newspaper of China’s ruling party published an editorial urging Apple to take further steps to loosen App Store restrictions and to tackle what the paper described as monopolistic practices. That commentary also suggested Apple could face continued scrutiny from Beijing, referencing past disputes with major Chinese app companies including Tencent Holdings Ltd. and ByteDance Ltd. over Apple’s iOS App Store policies.
Apple’s App Store first launched in mainland China in 2010. The platform in China operates under a different set of rules than the U.S. store, with Apple having removed apps at the request of Chinese authorities, including Meta Platforms Inc.’s WhatsApp in 2024. Regulators and commentators have pushed for the company to allow third-party payment options and to permit external links for digital purchases, changes that would alter how transactions and app distribution function within the Chinese market.
Separately, Apple reached a settlement in Europe in 2024 under which it agreed to open its mobile wallet technology to other providers free of charge for a decade, resolving an investigation in that region. In China, the national antitrust regulator has been reviewing Apple’s policies related to its share of in-app spending and its restrictions on external payment services and alternative app stores, Bloomberg News reported last year.
Cook’s appearance in Chengdu follows these regulatory and media developments and signals Apple’s public engagement in China amid ongoing discussions over App Store rules and digital payment arrangements.
Contextual note: This report relays actions and statements as described by public posts, Apple communications, and published reporting; it does not add or infer details beyond those sources.