There have been conflicting stories on whether or not foreign users within China can access the iTunes stores of their native countries with some claiming that the stores have been unavailable for days and others reporting no problems at all. Joe Mcdonald, Associated Press Business Writer, reports suspicions that the Chinese government has been blocking access due to the Monday release of Songs for Tibet:

Michael Wohl, executive director of the New York City-based group, said he believed the album was the reason for the iTunes interruption, though he had no proof. “We issued a release saying that over 40 (Olympic) athletes downloaded the album in an act of solidarity, and that’s what triggered it. Then everything got blocked,” Wohl said by phone.

“We are aware of the log-on problems but we have no comment at the moment,” said Huang Yuna, an Apple spokeswoman in Beijing. She declined to say how many customers were believed to be affected.

Computerword blogger Seth Weintraub notes that blockages may simply be caused by increased internet traffic due to the Olympic games.

If it is true that the problems are attributable to government intervention spurred by the release of Songs for Tibet, Apple may find itself in an awkward position of having to decide between business and politics. The Chinese iPhone market is a huge potential source of future profit for the company, yet if certain material is selectively removed to appease an oppressive government, Apple’s reputation in the court of public opinion could be substantially scarred. Both Seth Weintraub (link above) and TheDigitalLifestyle.tv have interesting perspectives on this issue.