Google Maps will soon once again be available in the Chinese mainland after an eight-year absence, according a Nikkei report cited by Reuters.
The company created a China-specific version of the Google Maps website and introduced a map app for Chinese iPhones, Nikkei said. When the app’s users currently try to use its navigation features, they are automatically transferred to an app from AutoNavi, a company owned by Chinese internet giant Alibaba Group Holding.
The move comes after Google joined an investment in Chinese mobile live-stream game platform Chushou this month. The company appears keen to find new inroads to China, where its search engine is blocked.