Apple CEO Tim Cook welcomed with applause at Beijing conference sponsored by Chinese government

Apple CEO Tim Cook was warmly received by the audience at a conference sponsored by the Chinese government amid tensions between China and the United States.

"I am thrilled to be back in China," Cook told the China Development Forum during his Saturday appearance, according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal. "It means the world to me and I feel really privileged to be here."

Cook, who was making his first trip to China since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, gave an upbeat speech that was well-received by the audience, with Cook telling those in attendance that Apple and China have grown together over three decades.

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Apple depends on China as both a hub for manufacturing and a growing base of consumers for its products, and Cook said the company and the country have benefited from the relationships.

"This has been a symbiotic kind of relationship that we have both enjoyed," Cook said.

Cook also answered questions about his support for education efforts run by the China Development Research Foundation, with Cook committing 100 million yuan, which is equivalent to about $14.6 million, to help fund the foundation's educational projects.

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Cook is one of dozens of American and other foreign executives to appear at the conference, which comes at a time of increased tensions between China and the West. High-ranking American officials have held off from visiting China in recent months, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a February trip to Beijing in response to an alleged Chinese surveillance balloon that was recently detected floating across the continental United States.

It also comes after executives for another high-profile tech company, TikTok, sparred with American lawmakers during recent testimony on Thursday.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew faced a barrage of questions from Democrats and Republicans alike about his company, which is based out of China, with the social media platform later accusing lawmakers of political grandstanding.

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Apple did not immediately respond to a Fox Business request for comment.