In the second major mea culpa of his reign at the most valuable company in the United States, Apple chief executive Tim Cook openly apologised Monday to Chinese customers for its warranty policies, which have been the target of government ire for the past week.
Cook signed a letter posted to Apple's website in China in which he apologises for the appearance that the company did not care about feedback from its Chinese consumers, and he promises to improve the repair policy on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.
The Apple boss also promised to provide clear and concise warranty information on the Apple website, increase supervision and training of authorised Apple retailers, and improve accessibility to feedback.
The company has been the target of a campaign from the country's communist leadership recently.
Last Monday, the People's Daily, the Communist Party's flagship newspaper, lambasted Apple for not adequately responding to warranty complaints raised by an earlier broadcast on CCTV, the government-run television network.
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The news report suggested the company treats consumers in China differently than it does customers in other countries.
It was also critical of Apple's warranty policies.
The stakes are huge for Apple, which has boasted explosive growth in China.
During the company's first quarter, revenues for Greater China, which includes mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, jumped 67 per cent from a year earlier to $US6.83 billion, Apple reported in January.
Cook has said several times since taking over the top spot at Apple from co-founder Steve Jobs that China will eventually become the company's top market.
