Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook made his first appearance at China's World Internet Conference, using the surprise keynote to call for future internet and AI technologies to be infused with privacy, security and humanity.

Cook made the comments on Sunday at the opening ceremony for the conference — an event designed to globally promote the country's vision of a more censored and controlled internet. It's the second Chinese appearance in two months for the executive, who met with President Xi Jinping in October.

"The theme of this conference — developing a digital economy for openness and shared benefits — is a vision we at Apple share," Cook said. "We are proud to have worked alongside many of our partners in China to help build a community that will join a common future in cyberspace."