Apple’s iPhone shipments in China fell by about one third in February from a year ago, according to official state data released Tuesday, a sign that the US tech giant is losing ground to Chinese smartphone brands in the world’s second-largest economy, reports the South China Morning Post. Apple chief executive Tim Cook visited Shanghai last week in an apparent charm offensive to improve relations with Chinese consumers, suppliers and local authorities.
Cook attended the opening of a new Apple Store in Shanghai’s Jing’an district, the largest in Asia, and he also met representatives from three major Apple suppliers in Shanghai, including Wang Chuanfu, chairman and chief executive of the world’s largest electric vehicle maker BYD. On Sunday, he was in Beijing for the China Development Forum, where he told state media CGTN, “I love China. I love the people”.
While Apple remains committed to the Chinese market with its large base of Apple fans, the US consumer electronics giant is facing regulatory and competitive headwinds. There have been anecdotal reports that some Chinese government agencies and offices have banned the use of iPhones, even though the Chinese government has denied the existence of such regulations or policies.