Tim Cook is likely visiting China to bolster support for Apple Intelligence, analysts say

• The CEO met with China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology as well as the heads of some local companies, including China Mobile and Weibo.
• According to analysts, the visit comes at a notable time as Apple faces challenges rolling out Apple Intelligence and increased competition from local players.

In his second visit to China this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook has met with Beijing officials and local partners, as his company faces increased competition and looks to roll out Apple Intelligence in the country. 

China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology met with the CEO in Beijing on Wednesday to discuss Apple's development in China, network data security and cloud services, according to a ministry statement. 

In the conversation, the ministry said Cook signaled Apple's commitment to the country, promising to increase investment in the market and to grow alongside Chinese companies. That same day, he met with the leaders of several local Chinese firms, including China Mobile Chairman Yang Jie, to discuss digital content and 5G product cooperation, according to local reports. 

Ivan Lam, senior research analyst for Counterpoint Research, said the timing of the trip is significant, coming as local competitors are introducing updated operating systems that integrate AI and new flagship products.

"This trip seems notable now as the company could be looking to shore up collaboration with local players to launch Apple Intelligence in China," Lam said. 

Le Xuan Chiew, Canalys' analyst focusing on Apple strategy research, said the rollout of Apple Intelligence in China was likely the main motivation for Cook's trip, which was part of efforts to "bolster the importance of China to Apple's global strategy."

Apple Intelligence is the company's artificial intelligence play, which aims to bring AI across its devices with features such as an improved voice assistant and tools that automatically organize emails and transcribe and summarize audio recordings.

While the company has said Apple Intelligence will roll out in U.S. English this fall, it has been more quiet on plans for the product offering in China.

During a Wednesday visit to the offices of Chinese social media giant Weibo, Cook reportedly said that Apple hopes to bring Apple Intelligence to Chinese consumers as soon as possible, but that there are strict regulatory processes it must get through, according to a local media outlet.

According to Cheiw, the need for regulatory approval could explain some of the messaging focus of Cook's China trip, though the timeline for the introduction of Apple Intelligence in China remains "uncertain."

This could be a problem for the company as the lack of Apple Intelligence on Chinese devices is expected to weaken the motivation for users to upgrade to the iPhone 16, he added. 

Weibo is also one of the local app developers that have launched applications for Apple's Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which was released in the Chinese market in June. 

Cook often travels to China — Apple's largest overseas market — to visit business partners, launch products and factories, and meet with local officials. During his visit in March, he had been in Shanghai for the opening of a new retail store. He also visited Chengdu this time last year as Apple faced lackluster demand in the world's second largest economy.

Apple successfully launched the iPhone 16, its latest model in the series, in China this September, and the new phones got off to a strong start. Sales were up 20% in the first three weeks since launch, compared to the 2023 model, according to data from research firm Counterpoint.

However, despite the successful product launch, overall iPhone unit sales, including older models, were down 2% year-over-year in China during the three-week period. 

Apple has faced dwindling market share in China amid increased competition with local players and an increasing preference among Chinese consumers to pick domestically made goods.

The company saw its market share in the second quarter fall 5.7% year-over-year, according to Counterpoint. 

After it made a splash with a surprise 5G model last year, Huawei, one of Apple's main competitors in China, launched competing handsets the same day the iPhone 16 went on sale. 

"Huawei's recent resurgence in the high-end market, driven by its in-house chips and HarmonyOS ecosystem, has intensified the competitive landscape, making it harder for Apple to maintain its leadership position," said Canalys's Chiew. 

Apple's Vision Pro could also face more competition in the market as Huawei is reportedly gearing up to launch its own competing headset as soon as next week.

— CNBC's Arjun Kharpal contributed to this report