Google's China Internet License May Expire This Month

Google's Internet service license in China may expire at the end of this month, adding pressure on the company to resolve a censorship row with the government that could result in its pullout from the country.

Chinese Internet regulators require service providers to renew their licenses annually as a way of ensuring operators are in compliance with rules, said Damien Bailey, a partner at law firm Simmons & Simmons in Hong Kong. Google should continue to abide by Chinese laws, which the company agreed to do when it initially started services in the nation, Yao Jian, spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, said at a press conference, without saying if the company needs to renew its license.