Apple expands iTunes in Asia

Apple is rolling out its iTunes online store to Hong Kong, Taiwan and 10 other Asian countries in a broad push to sell music and video to more users in the company's fastest growing region.

The company says that Singapore, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia and Laos will also get their own iTunes stores. But China, which accounts for a big part of Apple's revenues, is not included.

Previously, Apple fans in these territories could access the company's App Store to download applications for their iPods, iPhones and iPads. Now they can use locally issued credit cards to download music from the store's 20-million-song library as well as buy or rent movies.

Until now, only Australia, New Zealand and Japan had their own iTunes stores.