The minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China got a sneak peek at the Apple Watch during a recent visit to Apple’s Cupertino headquarters. Photos published by a state-owned website show Apple CEO Tim Cook demonstrating the device to Lu Wei, who also stopped by Facebook’s campus to meet Mark Zuckerberg.
Cook has been incredibly keen to strengthen Apple’s relationship with China since he became CEO. In addition to making China a top priority, he has also visited several times to meet with officials to discuss the development of China’s information technology and mobile communications industry, Apple’s expansion plans for the country, and the alleged iCloud phishing attack.
Cook has also made numerous visits to the Foxconn factories where Apple’s products are assembled.
This time, however, Cook welcomed China’s Internet Minister to Cupertino for a tour of Apple’s iconic campus, and a preview of the upcoming Apple Watch, according to a report from China.com.cn. The dates of Lu’s visit and the reason behind it are unclear, but Apple wasn’t the only Silicon Valley giant he came to see.
Lu also visited Facebook’s Mountain View campus to meet with Mark Zuckerberg, who reportedly greeted him in Mandarin, Bloomberg reports. Facebook remains blocked by China’s censors, and Lu told the media just this September that the social network will not win approval there anytime soon.
Facebook can be accessed in China via proxy services, however, and the company is planning to expand its presence there in an official capacity by selling ads to companies through a local office thought to be based in Beijing. Photos of Lu in Zuckerberg’s office show a stuffed mascot for Beijing-based hardware manufacturer Xiami sat on his desk.
Lu was also pictured with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, but once again, China.com.cn’s report did not disclose why the pair met.
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
