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Apple's Tim Cook, China Mobile strike up talks yet again

The Apple CEO sat down with China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua in Beijing to discuss how they might work together, according to a new report.

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
Don Reisinger
CBS Interactive

Apple CEO Tim Cook and China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua have sat down yet again to determine if the companies can work together.

The two executives met in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss "matters of cooperation," China Mobile told Reuters in an e-mailed statement published Wednesday. The spokesperson didn't say exactly what they discussed or whether they might eventually work together.

Apple has been trying to woo China Mobile for years, but so far, the companies have been unable to come to terms. At one point, it was reported that China Mobile was willing to bring the iPhone to its network if it could share in the App Store revenue generated from its customers. Apple reportedly balked at that idea.

Since then, the companies have been discussing other ways to work together. The idea of "cooperation" is one that's been floated several times in the past, but as of this writing, no deal has been inked.

China Mobile is the crown jewel in the mobile world. The carrier, the largest in the world, has 740 million customers, making it a huge opportunity for Apple. The iPhone maker's products are already available on competing Chinese networks, including China Telecom and China Unicom.