Tim Cook visits Singapore amid Apple’s Southeast Asia expansion | Wilnesh News

apple Tim Cook’s latest stop on a whirlwind tour of Southeast Asia is in Singapore, as the CEO turns to the region for expansion and sales growth amid woes in China.

Cook confirmed his arrival in Singapore on Thursday on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, posting a video of himself with a local photographer at the city’s famous tourist attraction Gardens by the Bay.

According to Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources ReportCook’s visit, which will last until Friday, will include meetings with Singapore’s next Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Lee Myung-bak will officially step down from office on May 15, ending his 20-year term as head of government. Wong will become Singapore’s fourth Prime Minister.

Ahead of Cook’s arrival in the city, Apple announced plan Invested over US$250 million in its operations in Singapore. While the tech giant already employs 3,600 people in the country, Apple said the expansion will provide room for new positions, including in artificial intelligence.

The company said the country serves as a regional hub for the Cupertino, Calif.-based technology giant, playing a key role in software, hardware, services and support.

The meeting with the prime minister is expected to cap Cook’s Southeast Asia tour, which has seen him meet with Apple developers and users in Vietnam and President Joko Widodo in Indonesia.

Bloomberg reports that Cook’s schedule is packed with public events to drum up interest in the brand, which could pave the way for a more aggressive regional sales campaign.

Apple did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on Cook’s trip.

This year, the company roll out An Apple online store in Vietnam It is said Recruitment is underway for its first retail center in Malaysia.

Increased business in Southeast Asia could help offset the company’s recent headwinds. Data released by the International Data Corporation on Monday showed that global iPhone shipments fell by 10% year-on-year in the first quarter due to intensifying competition from China.

Compared with Southeast Asia, where sales were booming at the beginning of the year, smartphone sales in China, Apple’s largest overseas market, are also in a sluggish state.

According to data from Canalys, the mobile phone market in the region is expected to grow by 7% annually by 2024, much higher than the 3% growth rate in other regions of the world.

Cook has also used his recent travels to highlight Southeast Asia as an important manufacturing hub.

The company has been pushing to diversify its supply chain beyond its base in China since 2022, when it experienced pandemic-related supply disruptions.

In its diversification efforts, Vietnam has become an important manufacturing base. Meanwhile, Cook said on Wednesday that the company would “consider” manufacturing in Indonesia.