Apple CEO Tim Cook arrives for the season three premiere of "Ted Lasso" at the Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles, California, March 7, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

SHANGHAI – Apple CEO Tim Cook on Saturday used his first public remarks on his visit to China to praise the country for its rapid innovation and its long ties with the US iPhone maker, according to local media reports.

Cook is in Beijing to attend the China Development Forum, an event being held again in full force after the country ended its COVID controls late last year.

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Innovation is developing rapidly in China and I believe it will further accelerate.

Tim Cook, CEO, Apple

Besides Cook, the event is being attended by senior government officials as well as CEOs of firms such as Pfizer and BHP.

"Innovation is developing rapidly in China and I believe it will further accelerate," Cook was quoted by The Paper news outlet as saying.

Cook also visited an Apple Store in Beijing on Friday, pictures of which went viral on Chinese social media.

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During his speech, Cook also discussed education and the need for young people to learn programming critical thinking skills, announcing that Apple plans to increase spending on its rural education program to 100 million yuan, the local media reports said.