Cook says Apple in talks with Alibaba over ApplePay in China

"We very much want to get Apple Pay in China," Cook told Xinhua during a visit to thecountry. "I'm very bullish on Apple Pay in China."

Apple could not immediately be reached to comment on the report.

Apple Pay, which allows consumers using Apple devices to buy goods by holding the deviceup to readers installed by store merchants, was launched in the United States last Septemberand quickly began to handle more transactions than all other "contact less" payment methodscombined, Apple said.

Cook said he believed it could take off even faster in China.

Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma said in October that the Chinese e-commerce giant wasopen to working with Apple on Apple Pay. Alibaba affiliate Alipay is China's largest paymentsservice.

Analysts expect China to take over the Americas to become Apple's biggest market. In thefirst three months of the year, for the first time, Apple sold more iPhones in China than in theUnited States.

The firm hopes to keep adding stores in China, where it aims to have 40 by next year, from 22 currently, Cook told Xinhua.

Cook's China visit was to focus on Apple Pay's entry as well as environmental initiatives toprotect forests, he added, Kazinform refers to Chinadaily.com.cn.