TMTPost -- Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook suggests he feels upbeat on the availability of the advanced artificial intelligence (AI) features in China during his second trip to the country this year.

Credit：the Minister of Commerce of China

Asked about when Apple will launch Apple Intelligence in China as Cook visited headquarters of Sina, the tech company that operates popular Chinese social media Weibo, the Apple leader said: "We are working hard to push it forward. There is a very strict regulatory process we need to go through, and we hope to bring it to Chinese consumers as soon as possible."

Apple released Apple Intelligence, its advanced personal AI system introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, stating the technology would be available first for US English and that support for more languages would be added over the next year. The AI features are deemed as a major selling point Apple’s latest flagship iPhone 16 series. However, it’s still unclear when Apple Intelligence can be available for users in China, the world’s largest smartphone market.

In a call with investors on August 1, Cook was asked about the availability of Apple Intelligence in other markets, especially China and the European Union. The chief executive didn’t provide many details about this, but said that Apple is “engaged” with regulators. “We’re engaged, as you would guess, with both regulatory bodies that you mentioned. And our objective is to move as fast as we can, obviously, because our objective is always to get features out there for everyone,” Cook said.”We have to understand the regulatory requirements before we can commit to doing that and commit a schedule to doing that, but we’re very constructively engaged with both.”

Cook has met Chinese officials that oversee the tech industry during his visit to China this week, which seems part of effort to promote Apple’s partnership with Chinese suppliers and win support from the authorities.

Apple is keen to seize the opportunities presented by China's opening up and will continue to increase its investment in the country, thus contributing to the high-quality development of the industrial and supply chains, said in his meeting with China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong on Wednesday.

China will continue to expand high-level opening up, vigorously promote digital industrialization and industrial digitization, and provide more opportunities and create a better environment for investors from all over the world, the MIIT minister Jin told Cook. It is hoped that Apple would continue to deepen its presence in the Chinese market, increase investment in innovation, grow together with Chinese companies, and share the dividends of high-quality development, said Jin.

Apple is welcome to maintain stable cooperation with Chinese partners to achieve common development, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao told Cook in their meeting on Friday. Both sides exchanged views on the development of Apple's business in China as well as on China-U.S. economic and trade relations at the meeting, where Cook pledged long-term development and increased investment in China, according to a press release from the Ministry of Commerce.

Wang stressed that China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation based on mutual benefit and win-win outcomes serves the fundamental interests of both countries and acts as a stabilizing force in bilateral relations. He said the Chinese side is willing to restore the healthy and stable development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations by engaging in regular government-business exchanges.

Cook said China's rapid development helps Apple achieve fast and sustainable growth. Apple will continue to increase investment in areas such as the supply chain and research and development, he said. He added that Apple will continue to serve as a bridge for communication and exchanges between China and the United States in the economic and trade field.