Apple executive chairman Tim Cook to attend White House state dinner for Chinese president
Apple’s executive chairman Tim Cook will represent the company at an upcoming White House state dinner for China’s president, a role that also shields new CEO John Ternus from direct diplomatic controversies.
Apple Inc. announced that executive chairman Tim Cook will attend a White House state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping next week. The dinner comes amid heightened U.S.-China tensions over artificial intelligence, trade and other geopolitical issues.
Cook’s responsibilities as executive chairman include liaising with governments worldwide, a function that allows him to handle policy-related matters while chief executive John Ternus focuses on operational leadership.
"We will comply with any changes to the law but will not compromise our values," Cook said in response to previous political pressure on the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
The move follows earlier instances where Apple’s leadership engaged with U.S. officials over immigration reforms that affected thousands of employees, expressing concern that the changes caused "considerable anxiety" and could disrupt operations.
Analysts note that assigning diplomatic duties to Cook may help insulate the new CEO from direct controversy, giving him greater flexibility in managing the company’s day-to-day affairs.