Baidu seeks further expansion abroad

Baidu (BIDU.NASDAQ), China’s largest online search engine, said that it is investing in technology to further its expansion overseas, the Wall Street Journal reported. “We’re setting up this multi-language platform to get us more ready once we do decide to go to other markets,” said Haoyu Shen, the company’s senior vice president for operations. Shen added that “a lot” of Baidu’s growth over the next decade is expected to come from global expansion. Baidu already has a presence in Japan and says that it is committed, but Shen acknowledged that the market there is difficult. Shen also said that he anticipates Baidu’s share of the mobile phone search market in China, which currently lags the firm’s computer-based search share, to eventually reach similar levels.