Baidu, Sina team up to share mobile and search content

Two of China’s most influential online powers, Baidu and Sina, are teaming up in a partnership that will see them swapping cloud-based and mobile search content.

According to The Next Web, the partnership will include “work on search, content, platform, technology and resources”. More specifically, Sina will integrate Baidu search into its massively popular Sina Weibo microblogging platform. Baidu’s cloud initiative meanwhile will come with the Weibo app pre-installed.

Tech in Asia says the relationship builds on pre-existing ties between the two companies. Sina has been using elements of Baidu search for years, while Baidu added real-time support for Sina Weibo in 2011.

The approach of the two Chinese giants stands in sharp contrast to that of their Western rivals. Effectively, Baidu and Sina Weibo have chosen to go the opposite route to Google and Twitter, who split over real-time Twitter search results in mid 2011.

Both parties are looking to dominate China’s rapidly expanding mobile market and their relationship can only be mutually beneficial in that regard.

Baidu does already have a mobile presence in the form of Baidu Yi, a Linux-based OS, which is also capable of running Android apps. Earlier this year its CEO Robin Li said the company was hoping make smartphone vendors more receptive to the OS.

If Sina can get on board with that plan then it stands to gain big, especially as Apple adds Baidu support to iOS.