Google said on Friday that Beijing has renewed the license it needs to continue operating a website in China, securing the search giant's foothold in the country's fast-growing Internet market despite some recent tensions over censorship.

Google had closed its China search engine in March but wanted to keep a website that offers music and other services. Users had been automatically redirected to Google's uncensored Hong Kong site, but the company stopped that last week after Chinese officials warned the move could mean losing its license.

What most Americans may not be aware of is that Google does not hold the kind of dominant position in the Chinese search market that it does in the U.S. Chinese competitor Baidu has about 60% of the market to Google's 30% in China.

[USA Today]