Apple CEO praises China partners as Beijing applies pressure

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook commended Chinese developers and the company’s partners in the country, days after the ruling party’s flagship newspaper criticized the iPhone maker for monopolistic policies.

Cook, speaking at the China Development Forum in Beijing on Sunday, praised the innovations of Chinese developers and the automation at the country’s manufacturing facilities. He said Apple and China share common goals, including in green development and carbon neutrality.

Apple lowered the fees it collects from app developers in the country earlier this month, a major concession in a hugely lucrative market where the company faced the risk of antitrust intervention by local regulators. Yet after the announcement, the Communist Party’s People’s Daily newspaper called for a further easing of App Store restrictions and urged the firm to fix “monopolistic” practices — highlighting how Apple may conti...