Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook wants the Chinese mainland — with its 1.1 billion mobile phone users — to be among the first markets to launch his company's new products in the future.

In a rare interview with Chinese media during his second visit to the country since March 2012, Cook said Apple is always working hard to help shorten the approval process for the company's products to enter the mainland.

He said he hopes to shorten this timing gap between the Chinese mainland and other markets as much as possible. This is one of his work priorities in the future, Cook was quoted as saying by news portal Sina.

Apple enthusiasts on the Chinese mainland have to wait longer to buy the company's latest products. The iPhone 5 handset, which started selling in the United States in September last year, reached the mainland market on Dec 14.

Otherwise, the only way to buy Apple devices in advance is to go abroad or buy through illegal channels.

Huang Yi, a finance industry worker in Beijing's central business district, said she hated waiting, so she spent an extra 1,000 yuan ($160) to buy an iPhone 4S from scalpers last year.

Cook told Sina: "China has always been the most important market to Apple — it is Apple's second-largest market now and I believe, in the near future, China will become the biggest market for us."

He said he has a deep affection for China, is interested in its culture, and his sister-in-law is Chinese.

"I have visited China at least 20 times. My first trip was in 1996. A huge change has happened in China," he said.

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