14 DAY TRIAL // Owners of Android-running smartphones from many countries around the world rely mainly on Google’s Play Store for downloading various applications and getting updates. But the situation is strikingly different in China, where the Play Store seems to be blocked.
A new report from The Information reveals that Google hasn’t given up on plans to make the Play store available to people in China and the tech giant is reportedly in talks with Chinese Internet technology company NetEase.
At this point, there’s no guarantee that a deal will be made between the two companies, but Google would surely be a valuable partner for NetEase. In addition, Alphabet chairman Eric Schmidt did say that Google needs a business ally in order to negotiate with the Chinese government on restrictions for making the Play Store available in the country.
Google would have to make some comprises in China
China’s business section is met with many government-imposed restrictions and it wouldn’t be surprising if Google had to make some tweaks to the Play Store before making it available to the Chinese people.
It’s actually very likely, considering that Apple was forced to pull certain applications from the App Store, as per a request from Chinese government censors. Apple recently pulled the New York Times app from the store in China, and it would be interesting to see which apps Google will have to pull from its Play Store. Google would also have to host app data in China, which is one of the main requirements for app developers in the country.
Currently, Chinese users of Android smartphones rely on third-party sources like Alibaba and Tencent to get apps and updates. In terms of smartphones, China is one of the biggest markets out there, which means it’s a big market for app developers too. Access to the Play Store in China would not only benefit Google, but also app developers who could make their product available to a larger number of people.