People try out new iPhones during a product launch event at Apple's headquarters in California, the United States, Sept. 10, 2019. (Handout via Xinhua)
"we are gradually reopening our retail stores and will continue to do so as steadily and safely as we can," Apple said.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. tech giant Apple Inc. said Monday that it continues to gradually restore its business in China, despite some impact from the novel coronavirus outbreak on sales revenue in the upcoming fiscal second quarter.
Following the end of the extended Chinese New Year holiday on Feb. 10, "work is starting to resume around the country" while Apple has made efforts to help China combat the novel coronavirus disease or COVID-19, said the Cupertino, California-based company.
Apple admitted that its quarterly revenue forecast for the next three months, which has been estimated at up to 67 billion U.S. dollars, may be negatively impacted partially due to the epidemic in China.
However, Apple said its corporate offices and contact centers in China remain open, and "we are gradually reopening our retail stores and will continue to do so as steadily and safely as we can."
Apple relies heavily on China for its iPhones and other products. The company said all the facilities of its iPhone manufacturing partners have reopened as they are located outside Hubei Province, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Apple noted that it is fundamentally strong and the virus-related disruption to the company's business "is only temporary."
"We are working in close consultation with our suppliers and public health experts" to ramp up production and business in China, Apple added. ■
