China renews Google's operating licence for 1 more year

BEIJING (AFP) - China said on Wednesday it had renewed Google's licence to operate in the world's largest online market, after the United States company last year moved its Chinese search engine overseas in protest over censorship.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology named Google's China website operator, Beijing Guxiang Information Technology Co Ltd, as one of 137 firms whose licences were renewed following adjustments in their operations.

The ministry had ordered the adjustments after some firms had changed shareholding structures without official permission, provided services beyond their approved business range or had lax information security controls.

The ministry, which posted the licence renewals on its website, did not specify the kind of changes individual companies had to make.