Recently Google INc has been granted a fresh license to continue operations in China. This came to many as surprise as few months before it was almost everything over for Google after report broke down for “illegal hijacking attempt by Chinese security agencies of Gmail user account”. Google threatened to shut down all their operations in China after authorities were showing low rated co-operation for Gmail Account hijacking investigation.
Last week Google said 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) license 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.”
Google has around 30 percent market share of China’s 7 billion yuan ($1 billion) search market.
