As the tech world turns its attention to the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week – a convention where Apple’s formal presence isn’t a showroom staple – the CEO of technology’s biggest business has jetted away to China, presumably hoping the tech world will be too busy with CES to care about his latest excursion.
But, alas, Cook’s trip was discovered. Given that this is the second trip to China for Cook in just ten months, some are wondering what the new visit is meant to achieve.
With millions more iPhones and iPads sold across China since Cook left China last March, Apple’s Asian footprint has increased markedly in recent months. Apple’s retail presence alone has almost doubled, adding 5 stores to China last year in an effort that brings the grand total of Chinese Apple Stores to eleven as of this writing.
Few details regarding Cook’s January 2013 visit are known, although Cook is confirmed to meet today with Miao Wei, head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Bloomberg reports that the two leaders will discuss “the development of China’s information technology industry, global mobile communications and Apple’s business in China.”
No word yet as to when Cook will return to the U.S.
