Kinaforum: U.S. executives, from Apple to Eli Lilly, revamp their push into the world’s second-largest economy at the China Development Forum

mandag 23. mars 2026

U.S. executives, from Apple to Eli Lilly, revamp their push into the world’s second-largest economy at the China Development Forum

As corporate giants navigate U.S.-China tensions, more than 80 global executives, from Apple to Eli Lilly,traveled to Beijing this weekend for the annual state-organized China Development Forum.

The executives’ remarks reflected renewed interest in capturing the Chinese consumer, after years of uncertainty from the Covid-19 pandemic, slower growth and U.S. trade tensions. Fresh off a recovery in Apple iPhone sales in China, the company’s CEO Tim Cook took the stage after Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday, praising the “extraordinary” pace of technological progress in the country, such as factory automation.

He said: “We are proud to be part of that progress, and we’re committed to working alongside our supplier partners to push it even further.” He added that more than 90% of Apple’s production in China is powered by clean energy.