Google left mainland china a whole 7 years ago and while they were very serious about it at the time, it hasn't really been the best decision for them. Since then, China has become the largest smartphone market in the world and it's been a market that Google has been increasingly needing to have a presence in. Not only are they lacking a brand to help push the crowded app store market, but they are also lacking government approval as well.
In order to officially launch the Play Store in China, Google would have to register with the Cyberspace Administration. Not only does this help fight malware, but it's also a way to maintain control of the content that is made available to the public. Now, it's being reported that Google may have a popular brand to partner with that can help get Google Play into the hands of hundreds of millions of people in the country. The Information cites "two people familiar with the discussions," and says NetEase has approached Google and the two are currently in talks to create a joint venture.
Unless you're from China, you may not have ever heard of NetEase before. They're actually one of the country's first internet brands and they would have the connections to push everything through if some sort of agreement was made. This is a company who competes head to head with the other internet giant, Tencent, and this partnership could help put the NetEase brand in front of more people within the country. This would be big since NetEase doesn't currently have an app store and instead publishes their content on other platforms.
This is not the first we've heard of Google entering the Chinese mobile market in a proper way. We've talked about this multiple times in the past, and we've even seen rumors that suggest the same. Now with these additional reports, it looks like the possibility of it becoming a reality is increasing.
Source: The Information
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