Tim Cook Is Back in China. Apple Intelligence Isn’t
The CEO’s charm offensive can still help save the iPhone from ‘involution’ in the hyper-competitive market.
Tim Cook was in China this week, where Apple is struggling.
Photographer: Adek Berry/AFP/Getty Images
If you log onto Chinese social media these days, you may encounter many young people expressing the “involution” or neijuan mentality. It’s become a buzzword for a generation of college students and recent graduates beaten down by society’s relentless competition, and roughly translates to rolling inwards.
You also might stumble upon new selfies of Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, who was back in China this week for his first visit of the year. The US business leader and de-facto diplomat between the geopolitical nemeses had a packed itinerary: Meeting officials in Beijing, stopping by a local Apple store and visiting students in Hangzhou, among other events. As usual, he chronicled much of his journey via bilingual Weibo posts.