Google offers map in China despite row

Google has launched a map search service in China aimed at travellers taking trips during the Lunar New Year holiday season, despite the recent row over cyber-attacks and censorship.

"The service is available online now," a spokeswoman for Google China, Marsha Wang, told AFP yesterday.

The Google Spring Festival Map is based on the company's regular map service but offers "more features" targeting users' special needs during this month's holiday, the busiest travel period of the year in the country, Wang said.

The special map provides information including real-time flight status, train schedules and ticket prices, highway conditions and weather updates, according to a statement posted on googlechinablog.com.

About 240 million people are expected to crowd China's trains and planes for the holiday, according to government estimates.

Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt reiterated last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland that the internet giant wanted to stay in China, but also said he hoped censorship rules would change.

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