Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because China is important. And, unlike the Arab oil producers, China actually has the human capital to create a university that competes with Harvard for prestige. Get used to stuff like this. Tim Cook is about 10 steps ahead of everybody who gives him a hard time for how Apple deals with China.
Can you elaborate on the importance and how that factors into Apple’s strategy? Saying that China is important and Tim Cook is Very Smart doesn’t make for a very enlightening comment nor a suitable rebuttal. If you’re onto something, I’d like to know what! :)
China is already Apple's second largest market. Right now China's GDP per capita is about $9,600. South Korea has a GDP per capita of about $31k and Japan has a GDP per capita of about $39k. Assuming that China reaches those levels at some point in the not too distant future (which seems likely given cultural and genetic similarities), China will be Apple's largest market. And they will be where Apple manufactures most of its products. At that point, China will be as important to Apple as the U.S., possibly more so. This is the long game that Tim Cook is playing.