Asia Tech Wire (July 26) -- Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams went to supplier Foxconn's Shenzhen plant to see iPhone 16 production during his visit to China.

Isabel Ge Mahe, Apple's managing director of Greater China, disclosed Williams' trip in a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Friday.

Ge said she and Williams visited teams from Foxconn and another supplier, Lingyi iTech (002600.SZ), in Guangdong province.

Foxconn chairman Young Liu accompanied the Apple representatives during their visit to Foxconn's Guanlan campus in Shenzhen.

Following Liu's lead, they were given an update on the progress of the production of the upcoming iPhone 16 at the plant.

In addition, Williams and Ge visited Lingyi iTech's factory. The company supplies thousands of components for Apple's full line of products, and its manufacturing is highly automated.

"We eagerly look forward to continuing to innovate hand-in-hand with our suppliers here [in Shenzhen] and throughout China," Ge said.

Williams said Shenzhen is an important region and a key market for Apple's continued deepening of its presence in mainland China.

He also toured Apple's soon-to-be-operational Applied Research Lab in Shenzhen on Wednesday.

Williams' visit to China comes amid market news that Apple has quickly adjusted its strategy this year, relocating some of its production back to mainland China due to poor sales of the India-made iPhone 15.

Meanwhile, BYD, Luxshare Precision and other Chinese companies joined in the supply chain system for the iPhone 16, becoming Apple's latest partners.