Cook Invites Wang Xing to Eat Wontons in Shanghai, Recommends Wang Expand Meituan to US
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has squeezed many new experiences into his schedule while in China.
On December 4, Cook and Wang Xing, CEO of Meituan-Dianping, met in Dahuchun, a time-honored restaurant known for its pan-fried buns, after leaving the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen.
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More than 10 people from the two teams ordered three dishes of pan-fried buns and two bowls of wontons. Cook was not crazy about pan-fried buns and only ate a few wontons. Wang Xing, however, is a fan of pan-fried buns and has finished quite a few.
Apple CEO Cook and Meituan-Dianping CEO Wang Xing pose for a photo in Dahuchun.
For Apple, Meituan-Dianping is an important developer in App Store, which also brings iPhone users lots of convenience. To Meituan-Dianping, Apple is its crucial application platform.
Cook suggests Wang Xing to bring Meituan‘s business to the US, as the consumer behaviors are relatively similar in the US and in China. Europe, however, is a different market, which should be entered later.
Want Xing responded that, Meituan-Dianping’s function of restaurant seat reservation is well-received in the US.
Wang Xing giving Cook an exquisite pair of chopsticks as gifts
Cook says that he can see the huge changes happening here each time visiting China. Many innovations can only grow up in China and then go to the whole world. He takes sharing bicycle as an example of important innovations initiated from China and introduced to across the world.
China is a significant part of Apple’s ecosystem. Cook’s China trip this time started from the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen.
Chef of Dahuchun taking a photo with Cook
On the 3rd of December, Cook gave a speech during the Fourth World International Conference. “The theme of this conference — developing a digital economy for openness and shared benefits — is a vision we at Apple share,” Cook said.
Cook believes that technology has the strongest ability in this world to create opportunities and help eliminate poverty. Technology is in itself not good or bad, nor does it has self-consciousness. To ensure humanistic technologies ‘depends on each one of us’. And to apple, this is a responsibility it must take.
According to Cook, Apple has created over 5 million job opportunities in China, including 1.8 million developers providing mobile applications to users across the world through App Store. “Chinese developers have earned a total 112 billion yuan, which is the highest in all countries. We provide them with tools and trainings and helping to connect them to billions of consumers. Many creators have now become entrepreneurs, and we are proud of this.”
Cook participating in “the Hour of Code” with students in Apple’s International Commerce Center Store
After leaving Wuzhen, Cook has visited Apple’s wireless headset AirPods’ manufacturer LUXSHARE-ICT Kunshan factory in the morning of 4th of December. AirPods is by far the most intricate Apple accessories.
In the afternoon after meeting Wang Xing, Cook has participated in “the Hour of Code” event in Apple’s store in Shanghai International Commerce Center, and interacted with students from Shanghai 4th School of Deaf-mutes.
On the 5th of December, Cook will continue to visit developer companies in Shanghai, to learn more about developers ‘ demand for Apple.
