Google Play, the mobile application store, could return to the Chinese mainland as early as this month, China Daily reported on Tuesday.
Google pulled its services from the mainland in 2010.
Citing information.com, a tech news site, the article said Google was working on a "special" version of Google Play for China, and the platform will be available for Android devices for sale in China.
A Beijing-based application developer was quoted by the paper as saying that Google Play will be tailored to suit the Chinese market, meaning: "The content will be subject to Chinese regulations and video products, such as movies, will not be available."
As China's smartphone sales are peaking and China's demand for mobile apps continue to grow, Google needs to take a share of the country's huge smartphone market, the article said.
