A visit to China by Apple Inc. chief Tim Cook has
fuelled speculation of a possible link-up with Baidu Inc., one of
China's main search engines, state media said Tuesday.
"Baidu is teaming up with Apple to grab more traffic volume for
its wireless business," information-technology analyst Dong Xu told
the official China Daily when asked about unconfirmed reports of a
possible link-up.
Cook was photographed inside an Apple flagship store in Beijing
and met Beijing Mayor Guo Jinlong Monday, local media said.
Some analysts speculated that Cook could meet representatives of
Proview Technology (Shenzhen), a company that claims the Chinese
rights to the iPad trademark.
Xie Xianghui, a lawyer for Proview said Tuesday that he had no
knowledge of Cook's visit, but that Proview was keen to meet Cook to
discuss the trademark dispute.
Proview also planned to continue its legal action to prevent sales
of Apple iPads in China, Xie told dpa by telephone.
"We will take legal measures against anyone who keeps selling
them," he said.
China Daily said Cook's "surprise visit" to the Beijing Apple
store "highlights the new-found importance that the firm has attached
to the huge Chinese market" since Cook took over as the company's
chief executive in August.
Apple sold 4.7 million iPads in China last year, taking about 70
percent of the tablet computer market, the newspaper said.
