CEO Tim Cook wishes to expand Apple operations in Vietnam
VOV.VN - Apple wishes to further promote its investment in Vietnam, especially in developing high-tech products and applications to engage in the tech giant’s App Store, bringing its products to more consumers locally and globally.
CEO Tim Cook was speaking at a reception hosted by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi on April 16. He said he was deeply impressed by Vietnam’s development gains, especially the outstanding and energetic development of science-technology and innovation in the country, as well as the availability of Apple products there.
Cook said since its operations in Vietnam, dozens of plants and thousands of authorized stores of Apple and its partners have created approximately 200,000 jobs in the country, but noted Apple’s cooperation potential in the country is still very large and it is entirely possible to get better results in the future.
Chinh for his part welcomed Cook’s visit and congratulated the firm on its successful performance locally and globally. He appreciated the important contributions of Apple and its partners to Vietnam’s development, including bringing Vietnam deeper into the firm’s global supply chain.
The PM reviewed the positive developments in Vietnam – US relations, including the recent upgrade of the relations to a level of comprehensive strategic partnership that helps to open up opportunities for the two sides to expand cooperation in fields such as science - technology, innovation, high-quality human resource training, semiconductors, and digital transformation.
He suggested that Apple support the US Government and Congress to soon recognize Vietnam’s market economy status and soon remove Vietnam from the US list of countries with high-tech export restrictions.
The PM highlighted Vietnam’s development achievements over the years and affirmed that Vietnam creates all conditions for foreign-invested businesses to invest effectively and develop sustainably in the country.
He expected that Apple would expand investment cooperation with Vietnam, helping the country participate more deeply in the production chain, supply chain, and value chain of Apple, the United States and the world, in the spirit of benefit harmonisation and risk sharing.
The Government of Vietnam is ready to work alongside Apple to establish a working group to support the firm with operation expansion in the country, he assured his guest.
He proposed that Apple increase support and give advice regarding science-technology and innovation development; increase cooperation with Innovation Centers and Software Parks in Vietnam, including establishing a research and development (R&D) center at the National Innovation Center; and examine the possibility of providing scholarships for Vietnamese students in the fields of information technology, programming, electronics, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence.
He also proposed that the US tech giant support Vietnam in a high-quality engineer training programme, aimed at generating 50,000 high-quality engineers in the semiconductor industry.
Apple CEO Cook welcomed Chinh’s proposals and said Apple is ready to cooperate with Vietnam in energy transition towards net zero emissions by 2050. He also expressed the firm’s willingness to engage in exporting cultural products and promoting Vietnamese culture to the world, through Apple products and applications on its App Store.
Tim Cook made a surprise visit to Vietnam on April 15-16 to examine the possibility of expanding cooperation between the tech giant and the Southeast Asian nation.
