The new Apple Store in Shanghai will be Opening its Doors Tomorrow, March 21 as we reported on Monday . China is a very important market for iPhone and Apple's CEO is in Shanghai for the official opening.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was on a China charm offensive Wednesday ahead of a new flagship Shanghai store opening, weeks after a report suggested the company's sales in the country slumped at the start of 2024, according to France 24 news.

Cook posted a video compilation on Chinese social media platform Weibo that featured him strolling in Shanghai's Bund area, taking selfies and eating soup dumplings with Chinese actor Zheng Kai.

"I'm always so happy to be back in this remarkable city," he wrote in an accompanying caption in Chinese and English.

"For the past three decades Apple has been innovating and delivering the best products and services for customers in China, and we can't wait to open our newest store (in Shanghai)," Cook said in a Weibo post earlier in March.

On Wednesday Cook posted videos from his visits to several Chinese firms, including a gaming company.

Interestingly, Cook also met with the chairman of the world's biggest electric carmaker BYD, Wang Chuanfu. While they make cars, BYD Electronics works with Apple on various projects. More on that later in this report. 

Report Update 5:14 a.m. PST

Cook also visited director Lu Mo’s production studio. The short film "The Eye" directed by Lu Mo was shot on an iPhone and tells the story of a girl chasing her dream of lion dancing. The film will be released soon.

Cook's Weibo site carried a series of photo and commentary. Cook wrote; "Papergames is owned by Papergames Toys@暖暖 - Nikki The creators of the series and the love and series have created it@AppStore Some of the most popular games on it. Beautiful graphics and a smooth experience showcase the power of Apple silicon on iPhone and iPad. Thank you for sharing with me the story of the startup and your plans to bring gaming to Mac and Apple Vision Pro! The creators of the Nikki and Love series at Papergames make one of the most popular games on the @AppStore. The graphics and performance are amazing, and show the power of Apple silicon chips in iPhone and iPad. Thanks for sharing the incredible story behind the business you’ve created, and your plans to bring your games to Mac and Apple Vision Pro!" The photo below is from that meeting.

In another Weibo entry, Cook states: "It's been a pleasure to meet with the team, customers, and awesome people at Apple's East Nanjing Road store@王诗晴 and @纪焕博Rock Have a great time together. Thank you for making this meeting so memorable! Great to spend time with our teams and customers at Apple Nanjing East, including the extraordinary Wang Shiqing and Ji Huanbo. Thank you for making it so memorable!" The photo below is from that entry.

Lastly, Apple CEO Tim Cook said in an interview with China Daily in Shanghai on Wednesday that "There's no supply chain in the world that's more critical to us than China."

According to him, Apple started its relationship with Chinese suppliers almost 30 years ago. "We've been building up and investing more and more. Today's factories are so much more modern. And in 10 years from now, we will keep advancing."

Cook made the comments after seeing a string of product exhibitions from Chinese suppliers such as BYD, Lens and Everwin in Apple's office in Shanghai.

Wang Chuanfu, CEO of BYD, was also present at Apple's office to introduce BYD Electronics partnership with Apple to Cook.

According to BYD Electronics, it has over 10,000 specialized engineers to support Apple, and over 100,000 specialized employees to assist its cooperation with Apple.

Wang said Apple's products are among the highest standard, and the company is willing to continue leveraging its research and development capabilities, manufacturing edge and high-quality services to deepen its cooperation with Apple.