Google is planning to re-enter the Chinese market with the introduction of a new Android app store that will cater to the Chinese market.
The search giant is reportedly in talks with Chinese government officials and handset makers for the launch of the new app store.
The new app store would be pre-installed on new smartphones made for the Chinese market that will run on Google’s licensed version of Android.
However, Google‘s licensed version of Android is presently not available in the Chinese market, with Chinese phone makers having to create their own versions of Android with their own app stores, which does not provide any revenue to Google.
If the company manages to push Play store on Google-approved Android phones in China, the search giant will be able to generate revenue from the apps.
The Wall Street Journal cited sources familiar with the matter as saying that the search giant is planning to introduce the new phones by the end of this year but prior to that, it will need licenses from the Chinese government.
Google backed off from China after a large-scale cyber attack hit Gmail users in the country, with the search giant also having disagreements with the government regarding censorship of search results.
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The tussle helped Apple gain its market share in the country and has since become the leading player.
Sources familiar with the matter also hinted that upon the entrance in China, Google might slowly try to push for more services to be unblocked in the country.
