Cook was speaking at his meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 16 in Hanoi during his two-day working visit to Vietnam.

After briefing PM Chinh about Apple's operations in Vietnam, the Apple leader said he was satisfied with what Apple and its partners have achieved in their cooperation in the country, considering such cooperation a win-win and mutually beneficial relationship. 

Cook expressed his expectation that the two sides can continue working together toward even greater achievements in the future.

PM Chinh told his guest that Vietnam will set up a working group to support Apple in investment and expansion of operations in the country in a ‘rapid, robust, sustainable, and long-lasting' way.

Cook affirmed that his company would work with the group to expand Apple’s high-quality cooperation and investment activities in the Southeast Asian nation in the coming time, especially for developing high-tech products and applications for the App Store.

Apple will also buy more components and accessories manufactured by partners in Vietnam, while supporting the country in the field of creative innovation, the CEO promised.

Cook affirmed that Apple values the participation of Vietnamese application developers in various Apple products around the globe. 

Apple has spent nearly US$16 billion on 150 Vietnamese suppliers since 2019, Cook stated.

The Apple executive also proposed to PM Chinh potential areas of cooperation in clean energy, digital transformation, and human resource training.

In particular, Cook pledged that Apple would expand vocational training programs for people with disabilities in Vietnam to promote their integration and create more opportunities for them to engage in supply chains.

PM Chinh emphasized that there is ample room for cooperation between Vietnam and Apple, based on the Vietnam-U.S. comprehensive strategic partnership, which was set up in September last year, whereby cooperation in science, technology, and innovation is deemed a key breakthrough in the bilateral ties.

The Vietnamese leader suggested that Apple focus on expanding its investment and business activities in Vietnam, making the nation the company’s manufacturing hub for its global markets.

PM Chinh proposed that Cook continue to advocate for Apple’s supply chain partners to increase their investments in Vietnam and facilitate deeper engagement of Vietnamese entities in Apple's value chain.

He also requested Apple to promote cooperation with innovation centers and software parks in Vietnam, especially the National Innovation Center, and support Vietnam in human resource training.

Currently, Apple does not have a direct factory in Vietnam but maintains its presence through more than 70 partner plants that produce electronic parts and complete Apple products, providing jobs for 250,000 Vietnamese workers.

Apple Vietnam Co. Ltd. is the official importer of Apple products in Vietnam with more than 40 distributors and over 5,000 authorized Apple stores, according to news site VnExpress. 

Last year, Apple opened its Apple Online Store in Vietnam and partnered with Vietnamese banks to launch Apple Pay service. 

Vietnam recently emerged as one of Apple’s important technology hubs outside of China, and the U.S. tech behemoth has asked suppliers to build production facilities in Vietnam for all Apple products except for iPhones, such as AirPods, MacBooks, Apple Watches, and iPads, according to Tap Chi Tai Chinh Dien Tu(Online Financial Magazine).

Source: Tuoitre News