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Google all set to reboot in China
10 Jul 2010, 0203 hrs,REUTERS
Google Inc has been given the green light by Beijing to continue operating its Chinese search page, averting a potential shutdown of its flagship search site in the world’s biggest Internet market.
Google stunned markets and consumers in January when it warned it might quit the country, saying it did not want to comply any longer with the censorship requirements needed to operate in China. In March, Google began to automatically redirect visitors to its China website to a search site in Hong Kong that provided uncensored results. Now visitors to the Google.cn page have to click once in order to visit the Hong Kong page'
Google said last week that it would stop automatically rerouting users to its uncensored Hong Kong-based search page, explaining that Beijing had indicated it would not renew its Internet Content Provider (ICP) licence if it continued to do so.
That had prompted speculation that China might use the opportunity to shut down Google’s China search page, which would have been a blow to its other business in the country.
“China has renewed our license,” a Google spokeswoman told Reuters on Friday. “We are very pleased that the government has renewed our ICP license and we look forward to continuing to provide web search and local products to our users in China.”
China Internet analysts and industry watchers welcomed the move as a positive sign but cautioned against heady optimism.
“It is good news for the Chinese consumer, good news for the Chinese Internet industry that Google is still available in the country in some shape or form,” said Ted Dean, president of Beijing-based business advisory firm BDA.
'
10 Jul 2010, 0203 hrs,REUTERS
Google Inc has been given the green light by Beijing to continue operating its Chinese search page, averting a potential shutdown of its flagship search site in the world’s biggest Internet market.
Google stunned markets and consumers in January when it warned it might quit the country, saying it did not want to comply any longer with the censorship requirements needed to operate in China. In March, Google began to automatically redirect visitors to its China website to a search site in Hong Kong that provided uncensored results. Now visitors to the Google.cn page have to click once in order to visit the Hong Kong page'
Google said last week that it would stop automatically rerouting users to its uncensored Hong Kong-based search page, explaining that Beijing had indicated it would not renew its Internet Content Provider (ICP) licence if it continued to do so.
That had prompted speculation that China might use the opportunity to shut down Google’s China search page, which would have been a blow to its other business in the country.
“China has renewed our license,” a Google spokeswoman told Reuters on Friday. “We are very pleased that the government has renewed our ICP license and we look forward to continuing to provide web search and local products to our users in China.”
China Internet analysts and industry watchers welcomed the move as a positive sign but cautioned against heady optimism.
“It is good news for the Chinese consumer, good news for the Chinese Internet industry that Google is still available in the country in some shape or form,” said Ted Dean, president of Beijing-based business advisory firm BDA.
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