HANOI, April 16 (Reuters) -

Apple Inc. ( AAPL ) CEO Tim Cook said on Tuesday in Hanoi the U.S.

tech giant wanted to boost its investment in Vietnam, state

media reported.

Cook made the statement at a meeting with Vietnamese Prime

Minister Pham Minh Chinh during his visit to Vietnam, a key

manufacturing hub for Apple ( AAPL ).

Separately, in a statement released on Monday on its

website, Apple ( AAPL ) said it would increase its spending on suppliers

in Vietnam, where it has created some 200,000 jobs.

Vietnam will set up a working group to support Apple's ( AAPL )

investment in the country, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told

Cook during the meeting.

Apple ( AAPL ) did not respond to a request for additional

comments about its planned spending.

Cook arrived in Hanoi on Monday for the two-day visit during

which he met suppliers, students, content creators and users of

Apple ( AAPL ) products.

(Reporting by Khanh Vu and Francesco Guarascio; Editing by

Kanupriya Kapoor)