Apple CEO Tim Cook ignores questions on whether he supports protests in China
Apple CEO Tim Cook silent when pressed on business dealings in China
Apple CEO Tim Cook was silent when asked by FOX Business' Hillary Vaughn whether he supports the Chinese people's right to protest, and whether he thinks it is problematic to do business in China.
The CEO of tech giant Apple refused to comment on the ongoing protests in China, a political development with serious implications for his company.
FOX Business caught up with Apple CEO Tim Cook on Thursday as he arrived for meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington.
APPLE CEO TIM COOK'S TRIP TO WASHINGTON IS THE FIRST TEST OF TECH-HOSTILE HOUSE GOP
An Apple logo adorns the facade of the downtown Brooklyn Apple store in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File / AP Newsroom)
Cook – asked by FOX Business whether he supported the Chinese people's right to protest and his thoughts on the factory workers beaten by authorities – remained silent.
Cook further remained silent when asked if he regretted Apple reportedly restricting AirDrop access that protesters used to evade surveillance of the Chinese government.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAPL | APPLE INC. | 229.87 | +1.35 | +0.59% |
Cook also refused to comment on whether he stood by his company's business dealings with the Chinese Communist Party.
CHINA'S COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS SLOWING IPHONE 14 PRODUCTION, APPLE SAYS
A protester reacts as he is arrested by policemen during a protest in Shanghai, China, on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022. (AP Photo / AP Images)
Cook is the first major tech leader to take the temperature of the incoming tech-hostile GOP House, meeting with several Republican leaders in Washington this week.
The quiet meetings will provide the first indication of how lawmakers plan to handle tech giants. At center stage is Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who will chair the House Judiciary Committee and could oversee critical antitrust debates regarding Apple's app store and Amazon, among other things.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Apple CEO Tim Cook poses with a new MacBook Pro in Cupertino, California, Oct. 18, 2021. (Apple Inc/Handout via Reuters / Reuters Photos)
Cook would have no doubt faced a grilling on the issue in his meeting with Jordan this week, as the Judiciary Committee has played an extensive role in antitrust issues relating to the app store, and Jordan is among the most vocal lawmakers in the country when it comes to Big Tech bias against conservatives.
Cook is no stranger to stepping into the breach of GOP criticism, however.
He made a similar move in 2016 when former President Donald Trump raged against Apple for shipping its manufacturing overseas.
FOX Business' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.