Apple CEO said to visit China following iTunes, iBooks ban

Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to visit Beijing this month to meet with various government officials. The meetings follow a drop in iPhone sales in Apple’s latest earnings report and its first decline in year-over-year growth in over a decade. The trip also follows China’s decision to block key Apple products, including iTunes Movies and the iBooks Store.

Cook will apparently meet with officials from the senior government, Reuters said, along with leading members of the Communist Party. He’s also scheduled to talk to officials from China’s propaganda department, according to Reuters.

Apple also recently lost a lawsuit protecting the iPhone trademark in China, which may factor into the visit. A Chinese court ruled that a local company could use the “iPhone” brand for its leather smartphone and laptop cases. Apple’s already confirmed plans to appeal the decision with the Supreme People’s Court.

It’s unclear if Cook’s visit relates directly to the lawsuit. Regardless, it comes at a time when Apple needs access to China’s growing market more than ever.