China Won't Limit Google's Android

The Chinese government won't limit the use of Google Inc.'s Android operating system for mobile devices by Chinese telecommunications operators, a Ministry of Industry and Information Technology spokesman said.

The comments were China's first official word on the future of the Android operating system since Google's announcement more than two weeks ago that it will stop obeying government censorship rules on its Chinese search site as a result of concerns over hacking and censorship. The spokesman's comments suggest the government might be open to letting parts of Google's business continue to function in China despite that announcement, which Google has said might require it to close its China offices.