China remains most important part of Apple's supply chain: Tim Cook

China remains the most important part of Apple's supply chain, said the company's CEO Tim Cook on Friday.

Cook made the remarks ahead of his meeting with Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) in Beijing.

"It remains the most important part of our supply chain," he said.

Cook said that the CCPIT has always been Apple's crucial partner.

"We're so happy to reengage and talk about moving forward and the opportunities in front of both of us," said Cook.

The CEO reaffirmed the importance of China and expressed willingness to visit China again in the future.

Cook embarked on his first visit to China this year, earlier this month, the latest of his many trips to the country in recent years, as a testament to Apple's close ties with the Chinese market.

His Beijing trip followed a visit to Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, earlier this week. Cook is expected to attend the China Development Forum 2026, scheduled to be held in Beijing on March 22-23.

The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, strengthened 42 pips to 6.7628 against the U.S. dollar Wednesday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.

In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day.

The central parity rate of the yuan against the U.S. dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day.