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[nahia]

BEIJING: Internet search engine giant Google will shut down its two China-based online services and stop providing technical support to a Chinese-language website.

The company announced this decision 10 days after the Chinese government renewed Google's licence to continue its operation in the country.

Google's plan encompasses closure of a self-developed website ranking page and a lifestyle site in China. The decision was taken because of "lower-than-expected demand", China Daily reported, citing a company statement.

It has also decided to discontinue technical support to two services for local business partner Tianya.cn this week. Tianya.cn utilises Google's technologies to power some of its website functions.

"We have always been trying to develop new products and services for our users. Some enjoyed great success while others failed," the statement said.

"In China, the website ranking page and lifestyle site were not welcomed by our users, that's why we decided to shut them down."

Google's announcement comes after the company July 10 got its Internet Content Provider (ICP) license renewed in China, ending a stand-off with Chinese authorities which had asked the firm to censor some of its contents for the users in the country.

Zhang Feng, director of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Telecoms Development Department, told a news conference Tuesday that Google has promised to "obey Chinese law" and will avoid linking to material deemed a threat to national security or social stability.

During its dispute with Chinese government, Google's search-engine market share dropped to 30.9 per cent in the first quarter from 35.6 per cent three months earlier.