谷歌應用商店Google Play欲借道網易入華

Google Inc is in discussions with NetEase Inc, China's second-largest online games provider, to bring its Google Play mobile app store to the Chinese mainland, according to The Information, a US news portal, which cited people familiar with the matter.

美國新聞門戶網站The Information近日援引知情人士消息稱，谷歌公司正與中國第二大在線遊戲提供商網易公司磋商，欲將谷歌旗下的移動應用商店谷歌Play引入中國大陸。

Google and NetEase did not respond to requests for comment amid the buzz that Google may be mulling a comeback in the world's largest mobile internet market.

谷歌和網易兩家公司目前均未對有關谷歌可能會考慮在全球最大的移動互聯網市場東山再起的置評作出迴應。

Sandy Shen, a Beijing-based research director at technology consultancy Gartner Inc, said forming a partnership with local players could help Google get a green light from the Chinese government.

技術諮詢公司高德納北京研究主管沈哲怡表示，與本土公司合作有助於谷歌獲得中國政府的許可。

The Cyberspace Administration of China issued a new regulation in January saying app store operators need to register with the local government before rolling out services.

網信辦今年1月發佈新規稱，應用商店運營商在推出服務前需在地方政府處備案。

"That's perhaps why Google is reportedly considering a joint venture. NetEase can offer lots of help in government relations," she said.

沈哲怡說道：“這也許是有報道稱谷歌考慮開辦合資公司的原因。網易在政府關係方面能提供許多幫助。”

Wang Xiaofeng, a senior analyst at Forrester Research Inc, says any relaunch of Google Play will be welcomed by Chinese users because the app store still has a strong reputation in the country.

弗雷斯特研究公司的高級分析師王曉峯表示，谷歌Play的重返肯定會受到中國用戶的歡迎，因爲該應用商店在中國仍舊有着出色的聲譽。

The move also came after Apple Inc raked in millions of dollars from China. In the third quarter of 2016, Chinese consumers spent $1.7 billion at Apple's iOS mobile app store, more than five times what they spent just two years ago.

這一舉動也是在蘋果公司從中國市場獲得數百萬美元收益之後開始進行的。在2016年第三季度，中國消費者在蘋果的iOS移動應用商店共計花費了17億美元，這一數字爲兩年前的5倍。