Tim Cook, the company's current CEO Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC),, became member of the council of advisers of the Tsinghua University of Economics and Business Administration. Having Chinese origins, the American university is recognized in the country for its graduates who occupy key positions in important American companies, and his entrance Tim Cook in this council it is seen as a move closer to China. The same board of the university includes powerful politicians from China, a former vice-premier and prominent members of the Chinese Communist Party, so for Apple it is a very important opportunity.
The board includes several key politicians, including Wang Qishan, the Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Communist party's anti-corruption body; Chen Yuan, the Vice Chairperson of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC); Ma Kai, one of China's fourth vice premiers; and Zhou Xiaochuan, the Vice Chairman of the 12th National Committee of the CPPCC.
By approaching such people, Tim Cook can generate important commercial advantages for the Apple company, one of the main local problems having to do with the fact that many Apple products are counterfeit. Tim Cook's role within the university will not be a very important one, but his proximity to the university has another motivation.
