US tech giant Apple Inc will further speed up efforts to help Chinese-developed mobile applications go global, as local developers reportedly raked in earnings exceeding $7 billion from the company's App Store.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said in Beijing on Monday that about half of the earnings came in the past 12 months alone, indicating strong momentum in the industry.

Cook made the remark during his latest trip to Beijing, as the company is trying to boost its contracting smartphone sales in China, its second-largest market after the United States.