Apple chief executive Tim Cook met Indonesia`s president on Wednesday, as the tech giant explores ways to invest in Southeast Asia`s biggest economy and diversify supply chains away from China.
The visit comes as US President Joe Biden`s administration seeks to boost other Asian trade partners` roles in the global tech supply chain to reduce American dependence on China.
Cook travelled to Indonesia`s presidential palace in capital Jakarta to meet Joko Widodo, the outgoing leader more popularly known as Jokowi, who has promoted a burgeoning tech sector.
"Indonesia is a very important market for us. We talked about the president`s desire to see manufacturing in the country, and it`s something that we will look at," he told reporters.
"I think the investment ability in Indonesia is endless. We believe in the country," he added.
"It was a dialogue about how much potential there is in the country and our commitment to the country."
The iPhone-maker announced Tuesday it will expand its developer academies in Indonesia to four with a new facility on the Hindu resort island of Bali.
Indonesia has a young, tech-savvy population with more than 100 million people under the age of 30, but Apple is dominated in the smartphone market by Google`s Android, according to statistics.
After arriving in Indonesia on Tuesday, Cook posted a picture of himself eating chicken satay.
"Looking forward to meeting even more of Indonesia`s creative community and developers while I`m here," he wrote.
Minister of Communication and Informatics Budi Arie Setiadi last month said Cook`s visit could involve talks on new Apple investments in Indonesia, including a smartphone factory.
"There are all possibilities, we`ll see what the approach is, because there are a lot of Apple users in Indonesia," he said, local media reported.
Apple did not respond to an AFP request for comment about Cook`s plans in Indonesia.
The company is yet to open an official store in Indonesia, forcing those who want its products to buy from resale platforms.
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