Google's steps into China

(CRIENGLISH.com )
Updated: 2006-10-10 16:14


Google's Greater China Co-President Zhou Shaoning
Google Inc, the world's largest Internet search engine company, has been stepping up its business in China in recent years. After setting up its China headquarters under former Microsoft Vice President Lee Kai-Fu in Beijing earlier this year, the company plans to expand its mainland team to about 300 employees by year-end.

In an interview with the 21st Century Business Herald, Google's Greater China Co-President Zhou Shaoning said the company is not looking for quick success and instant profits when expanding into China.

21st Century Business Herald (21CBH): Before 2005, Google didn't have a management team for China, how about now?

Zhou Shaoning: Yes indeed. Google didn't have an official China management team before 2005, but it had a team dedicated to its China operation at its U.S. headquarters, including 5 technicians and several employees devoted to business development. In another words, before Lee Kai-Fu and me, this team was in charge of Google's business in China, especially developing new products for mainland customers.

This year we have gained a lot of talented employees, mainly for customer service and technology development. We will build our management team step by step, we can't do it all at once.

To expand the company's Research and Development team in China, we mainly recruit college graduates. But in other business fields, we urgently need more experienced professionals to get involved.


Google's Greater China Co-President Zhou Shaoning
21CBH: Yahoo has teamed up with CCTV to provide a range of entertainment-related activities, Will Google consider such measures to market its brand?

Zhou: I can't give you a definite answer yet. But I have to say that Google has never participated in such activities globally. It doesn't fit our culture. Google is a technology-oriented company, it always keeps a low profile when releasing new products and marketing its brand. I believe Google will participate in some marketing activities in China, but it will mainly rely on developing its credibility among customers to boost its brand image in China.

21CBH: How do you report to the Board at Google headquarters?

Zhou: I am responsible for reporting to different regional presidents, apart from those in charge of Europe, the U.S. and Japan.


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