China to make decision on Google

Google's application to renew its operating licence in China is being reviewed by the government and the results will be posted…

Google's application to renew its operating licence in China is being reviewed by the government and the results will be posted soon, Chinese state media reported.

Guxiang, a company that operates Google's websites in China, has submitted its renewal application to the related government departments, promising to abide by Chinese laws, the official Xinhua news agency reported late yetserday, citing company documents.

Xinhua reported that China regarded the submission as coming very late.

Google chief legal officer David Drummond wrote on the company's corporate blog on Monday that Google would stop automatically redirecting China users to its uncensored Hong Kong site in order to appease Beijing and secure the renewal of its internet content provider (ICP) licence. The licence will end in 2012 but had to be renewed by the end of June.

Google unexpectedly warned in January it might quit the country over censorship concerns and after suffering a hacker attack it said came from within China.

Reuters