• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Tim Cook’s China photo album

By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 29, 2012, 5:49 AM ET

It’s hard for Apple to keep his meetings secret when he’s photographed at every turn



Cook at an iPhone factory. Photo: Bowen Liu/Apple Inc. via Bloomberg

The quality of the photos coming out of Tim Cook’s China trip improved significantly when Apple (AAPL) assigned a professional photographer to document its CEO’s travels.

We know, thanks to press photos and amateur snapshots popping up in Chinese social media, that Cook met with China’s vice premier and Beijing’s mayor, stopped by two Apple Stores and visited the headquarters of China Unicom (CHU) and China Telecom (CHA) — but not, so far, China Mobile (CHL).

But it’s through a pair of official Apple handouts that we learn of his visit to Foxconn’s new iPhone factory in the Zhengzhou Technology Park — sending the not-so-subtle message that Tim Cook cares about every worker (his words) involved in the manufacture of Apple products.

Perhaps now we know why Steve Jobs never set foot in a Chinese factory. Would he have agreed to be photographed in a bright yellow rain coat and matching pastic hat?

A few more photos, official and otherwise, below the fold.



Cook at Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory. Photo: Bowen Liu/Apple Inc. via Bloomberg

With vice premier Li Keqiang













About the Author
By Philip Elmer-DeWitt
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

home for sale
AIChatGPT
A man let ChatGPT sell his home. It beat every agent’s estimate by $100K—and closed in 5 days
By Jake AngeloMarch 21, 2026
55 minutes ago
US President Donald Trump, left, and Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, speak to members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, March 20, 2026. US officials said the White House is sending more than 2,000 additional Marines to the Middle East as it weighs a plan to seize Iran's Kharg Island oil export hub, a ground operation that would carry huge risks for President Donald Trump.
EnergyIran
Three weeks into the Iran war that’s requested $200 billion, here’s what success for Trump might look like
By Jordan BlumMarch 21, 2026
1 hour ago
AsiaIran
How the Strait of Hormuz poses an existential threat to Asia’s economies
By Nicholas GordonMarch 21, 2026
2 hours ago
LawElon Musk
Musk misled Twitter investors before 2022 buyout, jury says
By Isaiah Poritz, Jef Feeley and BloombergMarch 20, 2026
9 hours ago
Economygeopolitics
Tariffs were already squeezing small businesses. Now the Iran conflict is pushing them to the brink as rising oil prices boost shipping costs
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 20, 2026
10 hours ago
PoliticsIran
Trump says U.S. considers ‘winding down’ Iran military effort
By Jeff Mason, Courtney Subramanian and BloombergMarch 20, 2026
10 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.