(Yicai) March 19 -- Apple's Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook is visiting Chengdu to take part in events celebrating the US tech giant's 50th anniversary, marking his first visit to China this year.

Cook appeared on stage with a famous local artist and greeted attendees in Chinese at the Apple Store in Taikoo Li Chengdu yesterday. He will also attend the China Development Forum in Beijing next week.

Cook's stop in Chengdu, a major economic hub in western China, was carefully arranged by Apple due to the city being a critical link in the company's global supply chain, with local manufacturers involved in producing precision components and final assembly for its devices.

For example, Chengdu BYD Electronics in the Chongzhou Economic Development Zone is one of Apple's key structural component suppliers. In addition, the Chengdu base of Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn, has repeatedly handled production of the tech firm's core products, with nearly half of iPads sold worldwide made there.

China is Apple's most important supply base and one of its top markets worldwide. Revenue from the country surged 38 percent to USD25.5 billion in the quarter ended Dec. 27 from a year earlier, according to the company's latest financial report.

Cook's visit also comes as Apple rolls out new products in China. The iPhone 17e and MacBook Neo went on sale last week, breaking the company's traditional price floor, with their prices falling below CNY4,000 (USD556) after national subsidies, marking a strategic shift in the firm's pricing strategy amid fierce competition.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev