Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook made an unexpected appearance in Shenzhen Tuesday, using the trip to announce the company's second research and development center in China .
The announcement of the facility in Shenzhen came after an announcement about the technology giant's move to set up a $45 million R&D center in the capital city Beijing .
Apple's latest move comes as the iPhone maker looks to reverse falling sales and regulatory hurdles in China.
Cook has been on a charm offensive in China, visiting the country several times this year and meeting with top government officials. In May, Apple invested $1 billion in Chinese ride-hailing service Didi Chuxing in a move it hoped would help it understand the Chinese market better.
Describing Shenzhen as an "incredibly vibrant city", Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu wrote in an email that that the company will open the city's R&D center next year.
"The Shenzhen center, along with the Beijing center, is also aimed at strengthening relationships with local partners and universities as we work to support talent development across the country," Wu said.
Apple was already supporting over 200,000 jobs ranging from advanced manufacturing to app development in Shenzhen, she added.
Cook was scheduled to attend an entrepreneurship forum in Shenzhen on Wednesday where he will meet Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, reported state-run China Daily on Wednesday.
Located in the province of Guangdong, manufacturing center Shenzhen is transforming itself into a tech hub as the world's second-largest economy transitions into a service and consumption-driven economy.
Arjun Kharpal contributed to this article.
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