CEO Apple Appointed Chair of Board at Premier Chinese University

BY EVA FU  October 22, 2019

  Apple’s CEO Tim Cook recently became the chairman of an advisory board at the business school under China’s prestigious Tsinghua University, as the tech giant faced criticism for caving in to the Chinese regime’s censorship rules owing to its business interests in China.

  Cook’s role at the board was to make Tsinghua’s School of Economics and Management a world-class institution during his three-year stint, according to the school website’s report on an advisory board meeting held on Oct. 18. Cook hosted the meeting with 35 members in attendance.

  The advisory board, established in 2000, comprises roughly 70 business leaders and scholars from the United States, Europe and Asia, as well as Chinese Communist Party officials. 

Wang Qishan (was 2012-17 on Politburo Standing Committee, consisting of the top ~7 leaders of the Communist Party of China) is also an honorary member.

  Reports from the website show that Cook joined the advisory board in October 2013.   China’s Vice Premier Liu He, Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent CEO Pony Ma, and Baidu Chairman Robin Li, who recently stepped down from his role at the cloud computing unit of internet giant Baidu, also served as board members in the past year.  Tsinghua receives substantial funding from the Chinese regime, including to conduct research benefiting the Chinese military.

Apple CEO Tim Cook on March 23, 2019, Beijing (Ng Han Guan/AFP/Getty 

Apple hasn’t responded to a media inquiry as of press time.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) took to Twitter on Oct. 21, criticizing Cook for his decision to chair the board.  “Will you teach a course on human liberties [and] Tiananmen Square?  Maybe update students about what’s happening in Hong Kong protests?” he asked….

  Chinese factories assemble the majority of Apple iPhones. The greater China area also generated $52 billion of sales in 2018, which accounted for roughly one-fifth of the company’s global total in 2018, according to Apple’s financial earnings report.

  On Oct. 17 Cook met with Chinese market regulators in Beijing for “deep discussions” about issues such as corporate social responsibility and business expansion in the country, according to a statement from Chinese authorities….Apple has also been sending data, such as IP addresses, to Tencent, a social media and gaming company with government ties, as part of an iPhone and iPad security feature, according to media reports.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/apple-ceo-appointed-chair-of-board-at-top-chinese-university-with-close-ties-to-beijing_3123297.html

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3-28-2012  

The Wall Street Journal also reports that

Cook met with Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang, discussing intellectual property issues and other topics of mutual interest. (Source: Zuma Press)  https://www.macrumors.com/2012/03/28/apple-ceo-tim-cook-meets-with-beijing-mayor-chinese-vice-premier-during-visit/
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