Eric Schmidt: Google still has 'growing and profitable business in China'

To say that Google and the Chinese government have had a rocky relationship in recent years would be something of an understatement. But it now appears that the company is willing to mend its Mainland relations, more than a year after rerouting its search operations through Hong Kong. Speaking to reporters in Taipei today, chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt acknowledged that Google's relationship with the Chinese regime remains "mixed," adding that the "the Chinese government is unhappy with our unwillingness to support censorship." He sounded notably more optimistic, however, when discussing Big G's Chinese outlook. Schmidt, who was wrapping up a three-day tour across Asia, said he was "very happy" with Android's growth within the country, explaining that Google still enjoys "a growing and profitable business in China." The chairman went on to say that even though his company has faced institutional hurdles in the past, it simply "wanted to serve China's citizens within the limits the government allowed." Of course, this isn't the first time that Google has struck a conciliatory tone with the People's Republic, though it remains to be seen whether or not it results in any substantive change.