Apple CEO Tim Cook pledges aid to quake-hit China

Hong Kong, Sep 7 (IANS) In a bid to help the victims of the earthquake in China, Apple CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday pledged to donate to relief efforts in Sichuan province."Apple will donate to support ongoing relief and rebuilding efforts, our hearts go out to all the families and communities affected by the earthquake in Sichuan," Tim Cook said in a post to his official account on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo.Cook's pledge came days after he sent his condolences and promised aid to Pakistan, where floods displaced more than 33 million residents and destroyed over a billion homes, reports South China Morning Post.Greater China and Europe make up two of Apple's largest international markets. In the second quarter, iPhone shipments in China surged 25 per cent from a year ago to 9.9 million units.Last year, the company also pledged donations to victims affected by deadly floods in China's northern Shanxi and central Henan provinces.According to the report, China's second largest video gaming company NetEase and smartphone maker Xiaomi also contributed 1.5 million yuan and 1 million yuan, respectively, for the cause.E-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, social media and video gaming powerhouse Tencent Holdings, TikTok owner ByteDance, electric vehicle makers BYD Auto and Li Auto, as well as electric car battery manufacturer CATL have each set aside 5 million yuan for recovery efforts in Sichuan.
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