Apple CEO: Globalization ‘in general is great for the world’

Apple CEO Tim Cook defended globalization on Saturday, arguing that it is generally “great for the world.”

During a public speech in China, Cook reportedly warned world leaders against abandoning globalization even though gains are not equally distributed within nations.

“I think the worst thing would be to — because it didn’t help everyone — is to say it’s bad and do less of that,” Cook said during his speech at an annual conference sponsored by the Chinese government, The Wall Street Journal reported.

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“I think the reality is you can see that countries in the world … that isolate themselves, it’s not good for their people,” he added.

President Trump’s active defense of domestic industries has often been viewed in sharp contrast with free trade and globalization.

The commander in chief has insisted that he favors “fair” trade that benefits the U.S. and that he simply wants to bring jobs back to the country.

According to the Journal, Cook’s comments on Saturday were broad and did not directly address Trump’s call for Apple to bring employment back to the U.S.

The Apple CEO also commented on data privacy, stating that it remains one of the company’s core values.

“We think that an individual should own their data and should be able to control their data,” Cook said, according to the newspaper.

His comments come in the wake of a controversial Chinese law that requires companies to help authorities decrypt information during various investigations.

The Journal said that Cook’s speech was part of a broader “charm offensive” in China, where his company has announced a pair of new research facilities.