Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed his confidence in the future of artificial intelligence and its related hardware and software development during second visit to China this year.
On Wednesday evening, Cook visited a shadow puppetry-themed hotel in Beijing's Shichahai, where he spoke with intangible cultural heritage inheritors, learned about China's traditional folk art, and enjoyed a classic shadow puppetry play.
A PhD student at Tsinghua University provided him with a demonstration of an AI-powered shadow puppetry database and large model that can generate personalized Chinese puppetry designs simply by inputting keywords.
When asked about the future growth of AI-related products and hardware, Cook expressed optimism and revealed that Apple is working to bring its latest intelligent system to the Chinese market.
"I think AI is profound, and so it will change everything. And yes, I think hardware is a portion of that, software is a portion of that. And there should be huge growth in all of the above. Our move is to keep innovating and to keep pushing forward. We want to bring Apple intelligence into China and are working on doing that," said the CEO.
Cook's visit once again features a packed schedule. During a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology earlier that day, he reaffirmed Apple’s commitment to increasing investment in China.
As global tech giants intensify their investments in AI, related industrial chains are also expected to see further growth.
Industry insiders said that since the beginning of this year, the boundaries of AI hardware and devices have rapidly expanded. Beyond more powerful computers and smartphones, both Chinese and international tech companies have rolled out a variety of AI-enabled products, including smart glasses, smart vehicles, and smart home devices. Experts say the market potential for the growth of such innovations is enormous.
"U.S. research and advisory firm Gartner's data for the third quarter of 2025 showed, AI PCs (personal computers designed specifically to support artificial intelligence applications locally on the device) will account for 31 percent of global personal computer shipments by year-end, totaling about 77 million units. This confirms that AI is the core engine driving the structural recovery of the PC market. After a year of market introduction, AI hardware has shown strong growth resilience, and its actual market penetration continues to exceed expectations," said Zhong Xinlong, a senior consultant at the China Center for Information Industry Development Consultancy.
Apple CEO Tim Cook visits China, express optimism about future of AI hardware, software
The Israeli government is set to prohibit 37 international aid organizations from operating in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank effective Jan 1, 2026, after authorities stated the groups failed to comply with stricter registration requirements, according to an Israeli media report on Tuesday.
The report from The Times of Israel cited the statement from Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, saying that the new regulations are based on security concerns aimed at removing non-government organizations' staff allegedly linked to so-called "terrorist organizations."
The report came after the Israeli government announced the same day that it would suspend the activities of several international aid organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, in the Gaza Strip starting January 1, 2026, citing the organizations' failure to submit information on their Palestinian staff as required.
Last year, Israel rolled out new regulations on registration requiring international aid groups to provide detailed information of their staff's names, funding sources, and operation status.
On Wednesday, Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories stated that the registration mandates were necessary to prevent humanitarian supplies from being exploited by Hamas.
In an online interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Wednesday, Bushra Khalidi, policy lead at Oxfam, a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice, said the impact of the ban will be "devastating."
"It is devastating. We've seen the numbers from the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) a few weeks ago. We saw them in the summer. There's been a slight improvement, but that's not good enough for the time of a ceasefire. And six months after the famine was declared, we should have seen much more improvement in Gaza," said Khalidi.
"It's winter here in Palestine. It was raining. It rained a record (amount) of rain per millimeter yesterday in Palestine since 1992. So, the impact is devastating. But the fact that shelter materials, for example, cannot enter. For families, this will mean slower repairs. It will mean fewer supplies. It will mean a longer wait for basic services. It will directly affect the access to clean water, to sanitation, to shelter materials, to public health interventions. Aid that should be moving predictably will remain delayed, it will remain restricted and it will remain stranded," she added.
She also emphasized that the operating environment became nearly impossible for organizations to navigate long before the new ban was announced.
"We have been obstructed and blocked from operating freely and unobstructedly for the last two years by Israel. Israel has killed a record number of humanitarian workers in the last two years. It has bombed our premises, it has bombed our convoys, it has blocked our items. It has driven famine like conditions in Gaza because of blocking humanitarian access. So, I think it's really important to set that scene, is that what is happening now is nothing new. It only continues within the kind of campaign that Israel has orchestrated to drive basically the population of Gazans' survival. So, we are, we have not been able to enter any materials in since March, in fact, us and many other organizations. And of course that has severely restricted our ability to scale up our operations," said Khalidi.
Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, said on Wednesday that Israel's move is no different from cutting off lifesaving supplies for the local population, adding that the European Union has made clear that all obstacles to humanitarian access must be lifted.
Israel bans operations of 37 int'l aid groups in Gaza Strip, West Bank
