Apple’s iTunes Movies, iBooks Store reportedly shut down in China

Two Apple services, iTunes Movies and the iBooks Store, were shut down in China last week following pressure from the Chinese government, according to a new report.

The services were suspended less than one year after they were first launched in China, following input from China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, as the New York Times pointed out in reporting on the news today. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The development is surprising, considering how aggressively Apple has pursued the  Chinese market in its efforts to sell devices there. The company has made it possible for iPhones to run on several Chinese mobile networks, including China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom.

Other U.S. technology companies’ services — including Dropbox, Google, Facebook, and Twitter — have previously been banned in China. The Apple services that have been blocked compete with services from Chinese technology companies, the Times reported.