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发帖数: 8232 | 1 http://mashable.com/2016/04/22/apple-china-blocked/#INp3RwRpRqq
BEIJING — China has blocked the sale of iBooks and iTunes movies less than
seven months after Apple launched its service in the country.
The New York Times reported Thursday that Apple's online movie and book
stores initially received government approval but were blocked last week on
orders from the broadcasting regulator, the State Administration of Press,
Publication, Radio, Film and Television.
SEE ALSO: Apple Pay comes to Singapore
Apple said in an emailed statement that it hoped the services could resume "
as soon as possible," but offered no details about the shutdown.
Apple Music and Apple Pay are reportedly still working.
The broadcasting regulator has been stretching its authority to online
content, which is also regulated by other government agencies and ministries
. Calls to the administration's media office rang unanswered Friday.
China is Apple's second largest market after the U.S. and a key driver of
its sales growth, with stylish stores selling Apple products now a feature
of almost all major cities. In February, the tech giant launched its
smartphone-based payment system, Apple Pay, in China, making it the fifth
country where the service is offered.
Chinese regulators have been cracking down on a wide range of online content
, including blocking popular overseas news, entertainment, and social media
platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. That's partly to maintain the ruling
Communist Party's strict control over media, but also to provide space for
Chinese competitors such as search engine baidu, micro-blogging site Weibo
and messaging app Weixin.
China is also eager to promote homegrown phone makers such as Huawei and
Xiaomi, and foreign equipment suppliers such as IBM and Cisco have seen some
decline in sales because of increased competition from local brands.
President and Communist Party leader Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed the
importance of China maintaining its "cyberspace sovereignty" by blocking the
free flow of information from outside the country. |
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