Cook hopes Apple apps will be back in China

hong kong — Apple is optimistic that some of its popular apps removed from its China App Store this year to comply with government requests will be reinstated, the US tech giant’s chief executive Tim Cook said on Wednesday.

Cook also stressed that he believes strongly in freedoms, a comment seen by many as a response to a US democratic senator’s remarks on Tuesday that Apple had a moral obligation to promote free expression.

Apple is facing criticism from local users and rights groups for bowing to pressure from Beijing cyber regulators after it decided to remove dozens of apps from its Chinese store this year, including messaging apps and virtual private network (VPN) services, which help users subvert China’s Great Firewall.

“My hope over time is that some of the things, the couple of things that’s been pulled, come back. I have great hope on that and great optimism on that,” Cook said, adding that he always tries to find areas to work together and if he gets criticised for that, so be it. — Reuters