China's Google Earth version

Xu Deming, director of the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping said, In the near future, Map World will grow to be a famous Chinese brand for online map services with proven reliability." But today these two website www.tianditu.cn and www.chinaonmap.cn are still "at a preliminary stage".

Jiang Jie, another official at the surveying and mapping bureau added that the service is expected to update its geological data twice a year, while Google Earth is able to update every couple of minutes.

However, after the government introduced new rules requiring all firms providing Internet map and location services in the country to apply for approval from the bureau. Google's mapping service in China has been left in limbo.

Google has not yet applied for a license, the report said, even though the surveying and mapping bureau has said it may set a deadline for applications and those who fail to do so by then could have their service shut down.

Category: Internet