Google to return to mainland China by fall

Eyeing the world's largest smartphone market, Google hoped to return to mainland China as early as this fall, in what, commentators say easing of tensions in the internet giant's fraught dealings with the Chinese government.

The internet giant had been seeking approval for a Chinese version of its Google Play app store, The Information reported, citing people familiar with the plan.

Google was also hoping to get support for Android wearable devices in China, according to the report.

As part of the deal, Google will follow the country's laws and block apps that the Chinese government objected to, one person told The Information.

The Play store app would work only on devices that ran the "M" version of Android and on devices that complied with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology requirements, according to the report.

Google withdrew from mainland China and moved its Chinese-language search engine to Hong Kong in 2010 in the wake of a series of cyber attacks it suffered that originated in the country (See: China blocks access as Google exits to HK).

Google added it would stop censoring search results in China. The move had become controversial, as it cut Google off from the lucrative Chinese market especially on mobile.

Over the years, China has blocked many Google services, such as its free Gmail email, the lates being in December 2014 (China blocks access to Gmail).

Google-backed Android powered the majority of the smartphones in the world and was available free for device makers in China and elsewhere.

Manufacturers such as Xiaomi customised their own version of Android, while Baidu and other internet players in China ran app stores that did not share revenue with Google, the Journal reported.

According to commentators, opening a Google Play online shop for digital content approved by the Chinese government and pre-installed on smartphones powered by a licensed version of Android would be a remedy for that situation.

Google had been working on the project for over a year and hoped to have the China app shop on new smartphones by the end of this year, according to a source cited by the Journal.