Apple CEO ‘pretty confident’ of resuming books, movies sales in China

Apple CEO Tim Cook says the company is “pretty confident” that it will soon be able to again offer electronic books and movies to customers inside China. 

{mosads}”We did offer books and movies. Currently we’re offline,” said Cook during a Monday night appearance on the CNBC program “Mad Money.”

“What I can tell you there is we’re working with the relevant government agencies and other businesses, and we’re pretty confident and optimistic that we’ll be back online and offering those to our Chinese customers soon.”

Just over a week ago, a Chinese government authority ordered the company to close both its iBooks store and iTunes Movies products, a stunning move given that the company has long been immune from China’s protectionism. China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television forced the two digital stores to close, according to The New York Times. They had been in operation for half a year. 

Tech groups in Washington have for some time have raised concerns about Chinese laws that could, for example, force a company to hand over its encryption keys on counterterrorism grounds. Beijing has also investigated American tech firms.

President Obama, during an interview last year, criticized China over a counterterrorism law that would make demands of American tech companies.

“This is something that I’ve raised directly with President Xi [Jinping],” he told Reuters last March. “We have made it very clear to them that this is something they are going to have to change if they are to do business with the United States.”