BEIJING, March 24 (Reuters) - China's commerce minister

told Apple ( AAPL ) CEO Tim Cook on Monday that the company is

welcome to expand investment in the country, a ministry

statement showed.

Wang Wentao, the minister, and Cook exchanged views on

topics such as Apple's ( AAPL ) business development in China and

China-U.S. economic and trade relations, according to the

statement.

Foreign CEOs were attending the China Development Forum in

Beijing on Sunday and Monday, with some expected to meet

President Xi Jinping on Friday, sources have told Reuters.