Executive also spotted in Beijing Apple Store

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Chinese government officials on Monday, company spokeswoman Carolyn Wu tells MarketWatch. The executive was reportedly there to discuss expanding Chinese operations, but Wu has refused to elaborate. Cook "had great meetings with Chinese officials today," according to Wu. "China is very important to us and we look forward to even greater investment and growth here."

The company could potentially expand in several ways in China. Currently it has five retail stores in the country, and it likely intends to grow that number in the future. Apple may also need to expand its corporate operations, since China is becoming an increasingly important source of revenue. It is also the country where most Apple suppliers are based, although it might be less likely that Apple would need to meet with government officials for that purpose.

Reports meanwhile note that Cook was spotted at the Xidan Joy City Apple Store on Monday. The outlet is the company's top location in terms of traffic and transaction volume. A public appearance by Cook is rare, although the executive may already be more willing to appear outside of press events than his predecessor, Steve Jobs.

by MacNN Staff