Apple is currently beefing up its personnel for what is perceived as its expansion in mainland China, boosting its presence in the second largest economy in the world despite facing issues with Chinese regulators. Seen as part of this expansion efforts is the hiring of former Wall Street Journal reporter Wei Gu, as Apple's Director for Public Relations Department in Shanghai, China, per Gu's LinkedIn profile.
According to Mac Rumors, Wei Gu has had 18 years of professional experience, working as a video journalist for both CNN and Reuters, breaking technology news about technology companies in the United States. She then transferred to the Wall Street Journal where she focused with a weekly finance column before leaving the venerable business paper in August. She then started writing and editing her personal blog before joining Apple in November.
Gu's employment in Apple is also seen as the tech giant's increased efforts to expand and improve its talent pool with regard to China-based public relations. Improving Apple's image in the Asian economic powerhouse, following the issue to which the tech giant figured in pertaining to a controversial independent film which led to the shutdown of iTunes and iBooks in the country.
As of this writing, China is the third largest and third most profitable market for Apple next to the United States and Europe. The tech giant is intensifying its efforts to continue expansion of its influence within China, with CEO Tim Cook seeing a lot of optimism about Apple's presence in the largest Communist state in the planet.
