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Chinese authorities shut down Apple's iBookstore and iTunes Movies

Chinese authorities shut down Apple's iBookstore and iTunes Movies

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Apple is no longer able to sell ebooks and movies in China after a government regulator reportedly demanded the services' closure. The New York Times reports that China's State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television is behind the shutdown, which happened only six months after Apple first launched the iBookstore and iTunes Movies in the region. AppleInsider first noted last week that iTunes Movies and the iBookstore were inaccessible in China; Apple Music appears to be running without issue.

"We hope to make books and movies available again to our customers in China as soon as possible," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement to the Times. It's an alarming roadblock for Apple, which counts China as its second-biggest market and a major source of growth; just two months ago the company launched Apple Pay in the country, demonstrating its ability to navigate tricky regulatory obstacles. While iTunes Movies and the iBookstore do compete with local Chinese alternatives, the same could be said for Apple Pay.