China’s commerce minister, Wang Wentao, met with Apple chief executive Tim Cook on Friday (Mar 22), exchanging views on Apple’s development in China, and Sino-US economic and trade relations, the ministry said.

The meeting came a day after Cook opened Apple’s newest store in Shanghai, as the phone maker battles falling iPhone sales in China and rising competition from domestic rivals such as Huawei.

Wang said that China-US economic and trade cooperation is a stabilising force for bilateral relations, and that China is willing to work with the United States to create a fair, stable and predictable environment for business cooperation between the two countries, according to a ministry statement on Saturday.

Cook is expected to attend the China Development Forum in Beijing next week, a gathering of foreign chief executive officers with top Chinese policymakers. REUTERS