【英语中国】中国出新规 谷歌地图前途存疑

New Chinese licensing rules for online mapping services could provide the first measure of the government's attitude toward Google Inc. (GOOG) since the Internet giant stopped operating its Chinese Web-search site in March.

Under new rules issued last month by the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, all companies providing online map and location services, searches, or downloading in China are required to apply for approval to continue operating. The rules were posted on the bureau's website, but received little notice outside China.

Among other requirements, companies must demonstrate that they have systems in place to ensure that their maps, including disputed territories, are labeled in accordance with Chinese rules and that sensitive information like military addresses is removed.

Such requirements are potentially difficult for a company like Google, which allows users to post notes on online maps.

It's unclear whether Google will be approved. A government official familiar with the rules said Google has applied for a license, but didn't disclose the status of the request. Spokesmen for the bureau declined to comment.

A Google spokeswoman would say only that 'we comply with local laws and regulations wherever we operate.'

Meeting the requirements won't necessarily guarantee a license, especially for Google, after its run-in with the government over resistance to website censorship.

Edward Yu, chief executive of Beijing-based research firm Analysys International, says that while government relations are an important aspect of business in any nation, it is particularly important and challenging in China, where government agencies are known to spontaneously change or issue new regulations and have a significant amount of discretion in implementation, and where enforcement may differ between different government bodies.

An initial list of approved companies is expected to be announced later this month; a list of companies that haven't complied with the new rules will be announced by the end of the year. Companies whose applications are denied won't be allowed to continue offering online map services in China.

Google in March closed some of its China-based search services, which it had censored since its launch in 2006 in accordance with Chinese rules, and began redirecting traffic on its Chinese address, Google.cn, to a website based in Hong Kong that it doesn't filter. The move represented a rare public slap at Chinese censorship regime, and it has been widely expected that China's government might eventually retaliate. So far the Google.cn address has been allowed to continue functioning and regulators haven't permanently blocked traffic in China to Google's other global sites.

Mapping is one of Google's fastest-growing services in China, though it remains a relatively small portion of Google's overall traffic from the country. Google offers its maps through partner sites and mobile phones, in addition to its own Chinese map site. Overall, revenue in China from online mapping services is expected to grow to about $72 million this year, from just $8.7 million in 2005, according to Analysys International.

China's government has long been guarded about mapping, both for national security reasons and because of political sensitivity about disagreements over the definition of its borders. The government was less stringent in regulating maps online until 2008 when the growth in popularity of online maps accelerated. The new rules are part of an effort to manage the industry more closely.

'Online map problems harm not only the interests of consumers, but also cause serious damage to national security interests and national dignity, or even bring bad political influence,' Song Chaozhi, deputy director general of the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, said in a statement published on its website. The bureau estimates there are now 40,000 providers of online maps and services in China. Google's mapping service is one of the most popular in China, however.

Autonavi Software Co., the Beijing-based parent of Mapabc, a company that provides maps used in Google's Chinese map service, says it has already received approval from the bureau. Mapabc said it applied for a license and expects to get one soon.

Analysts said it's unlikely, however, that Google will be able to run its map services without its own licenses. 'Google Maps are a product of Google.... Their partner cannot run [it] using their license,' said Frances Guan, an analyst at research firm In-Stat China. She said she thinks Google has a good chance of winning a license if it adjusts its service, for instance blurring certain details or adjusting information available on Google Earth.

Some other countries have raised objections to Google's mapping services, but those issues have centered around privacy concerns.

So far, the effects of Google's decision in March haven't been as severe as many observers anticipated. Some of Google's advertising resellers have complained of drops in sales and some of Google's partners have distanced themselves from the company after it announced its decision. But handsets running Google's Android operating system continue to ship in China, though some are bundled with software by Google competitors Baidu Inc. (BIDU) and Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) Bing. Chinese Web portal Sina.com continues to use Google's search bar on its homepage. Research from Analysys shows that Google's Chinese music search service has gained traction among users.

Google's revenue from China has stabilized since the end of the first quarter, when Google's share of search market revenue dropped to 30.9% from 35.6% in the previous quarter. 'Google market share isn't sliding as much as people thought' it would, said Analysys International's Yu.

中国就在线地图服务新推出的许可规则，或许可以让人们首次得以估量谷歌公司(Google Inc.)3月份停止运营其内地网页搜索站点以来，中国政府对这家互联网巨头的态度。

根据国家测绘局上月发布的新规，所有在中国提供在线地图和定位服务、搜索或下载的公司，如果要继续运营，都必须报请审批。这套规则发布在国家测绘局网站上，但在中国以外很少有人注意。

相关报导自2006年在中国推出搜索服务以来，谷歌一直根据当地的规定予以审查，直到今年3月份，谷歌关闭了其中的部分服务，并开始把内地网址Google.cn的流量转移到香港一个不进行过滤的站点。这相当于公开地扇了中国审查制度一耳光，实为罕见之举。自那以来，人们就普遍预计中国政府最终有可能采取报复措施。到目前为止，Google.cn还一直被允许继续运作，监管机构也没有永久性地屏蔽中国境内访问谷歌其他全球站点。

地图服务是谷歌在华增长最迅速的业务之一，不过在谷歌在华总流量中所占的份额仍相对较小。除谷歌中文地图网站之外，谷歌还通过合作网站和手机提供地图服务。据易观国际的数据，预计今年中国在线地图服务的总收入将从2005年的仅870万美元增长至今年的约7,200万美元。

中国政府一直对地图服务心存警惕，既是出于国家安全方面的考虑，也因为中国边界界定上存在的分歧带来的政治敏感问题。在2008年在线地图越来越受欢迎之前，政府对在线地图服务的监管并不那么严格。新的规定是中国更严格管理该行业的措施的一部分。

国家测绘局副局长宋超智在官方网站上发表的一份声明中说，互联网地图出现问题，不仅损害消费者利益，严重的甚至损害国家安全利益和民族尊严，甚至会带来恶劣的政治影响。国家测绘局估计，目前中国有四万家在线地图和服务提供商。不过，谷歌的地图服务是中国最受欢迎的地图服务之一。

地图服务网站Mapabc位于北京的母公司高德软件有限公司提供谷歌中国地图服务中所使用的地图。该公司说，已经获得了国家测绘局的批准。Mapabc说，已经申请了许可证，预计很快就会拿到。

不过，分析人士说，谷歌不太可能能够在没有属于自己的许可证的情况下运营地图服务。研究公司In-Stat China分析师管黛说，谷歌地图是谷歌的一个产品，他们的合作伙伴不能用自己的许可证运营谷歌地图。她说，她认为如果谷歌调整服务，比如模糊处理某些内容或调整“谷歌地球”（Google Earth）上的信息，它获得许可证的可能性很大。

其他一些国家也对谷歌地图服务提出了反对，不过那些问题主要是围绕着隐私权问题。

目前为止，谷歌3月份做出的决定造成的后果尚不如很多观察人士预计的那么严重。在谷歌宣布退出中国的决定后，谷歌的一些广告代理商抱怨说销售出现下滑，一些合作伙伴疏远了谷歌。不过，运行谷歌Android操作系统的手机仍在中国销售，只是有一些是与谷歌竞争对手百度和微软(Microsoft Corp.)的“必应”(Bing)软件捆绑销售的。中国门户网站新浪网继续在主页上使用谷歌搜索栏。易观国际进行的研究显示，谷歌中文音乐搜索服务在用户中获得了欢迎。

今年一季度末，谷歌在搜索市场收入中的份额从上一季度的35.6%降至30.9%。此后，谷歌在华获得的收入已经稳定下来。易观国际的于扬说，谷歌市场份额的下滑不像人们预计的那样严重。