During a visit aimed at strengthening ties with key Asian trade partners, Apple CEO Tim Cook journeyed to Indonesia's presidential palace in Jakarta to meet with Joko Widodo, commonly referred to as Jokowi, the country's outgoing leader. The meeting underscores the Biden administration's efforts to diversify the global tech supply chain and lessen reliance on China. Widodo, known for his advocacy of Indonesia's growing tech industry, discussed opportunities for collaboration with Cook during their meeting.
"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 said. "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 announcement from Apple reveals its intention to extend its developer academies in Indonesia to four, including a new establishment on the Hindu retreat island of Bali. With over 100 million individuals under the age of 30, Indonesia boasts a youthful and tech-savvy population. However, despite this demographic advantage, Apple finds itself overshadowed in the smartphone market by Google's Android platform, as indicated by statistics.
After arriving in Indonesia, Cook posted a picture of himself. "Looking forward to meeting even more of Indonesia's creative community and developers while I'm here", he wrote. Last month, Minister of Communication and Informatics Budi Arie Setiadi mentioned that Cook's visit might entail discussions regarding potential new investments by Apple in Indonesia, potentially including the establishment of a smartphone manufacturing facility.
"There are all possibilities; we'll see what the approach is because there are a lot of Apple users in Indonesia", he said. Apple did not provide a response to an AFP inquiry regarding Cook's agenda in Indonesia. The corporation has not yet inaugurated an official store in the country, compelling consumers desiring its products to resort to purchasing from resale platforms.