Hong Kong — Apple is optimistic that some of its popular apps removed from its China App Store in 2017 to comply with government requests will be reinstated, says the US technology giant’s CE, Tim Cook. Speaking at the Fortune Forum in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, Cook also said he believed 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 after it decided to remove dozens of apps from its Chinese store, including messaging apps and virtual private network 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 [sic] been pulled, come back. I have great hope on that and great optimism on that," Cook said, adding he always tried to find ways to work together and if he was criticised for that, ...
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