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Google Play Store could launch in China next year

With an estimated population of 1.357 billion, China is a market that few global companies can afford to ignore.

Google has plans to launch a version of its Play Store in China next year, a new report reveals.

The company, which is part of parent firm Alphabet Inc., will launch a dedication version of the app “not connected to overseas versions of Google Play”, as revealed by Reuters.

The report cites “people familiar with the matter”, although no official word from Google has been given thus far.

Google intends to comply with Chinese laws on filtering content that might be viewed as sensitive by the ruling Communist Party, and laws requiring the company to store the app store’s data within China,” Reuters explains.

Google has had an offish relationship with China for the past five years, after disagreement with the eastern nation’s policy for censorship.

However, small progress was made in November last year when Google gave the ‘all clear’ for developers in China to start publishing content onto the Play Store.

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Speaking at the time, Google said: “We’re excited to announce merchant support in China, enabling local developers to export and sell their apps to Google Play users.”

The added support meant that developers in China were able to peddle apps in over 130 countries worldwide.

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