Google has another crack at China with new YouTube channel

Google is looking to force its way back into China, even if it means going through the back door. The internet giant has launched a new YouTube channel aimed at educating Chinese developers on the ins and outs of its various technologies, including Android and Compute Engine, its cloud computing offering.

The channel, which includes new content as well as closed-caption content from its English-language service, may not be easily accessible in China but it is a sign that Google is serious about having some kind of influence on a country in which it has not had a presence since 2010.

As Wired notes, YouTube is blocked in China along with a number of other services, including the Android Play Store and its search engine.

Until recently many Chinese people have managed to get around those restrictions via the use of virtual private networks (VPNs). That is however becoming increasingly difficult as the Chinese government looks to crack down on the use of the technology.

That said, if any group of people is likely to get around those restrictions, it’s developers. It also makes sense to keep them onside, especially when you consider that Android is far and away the most popular mobile operating system.

While Google currently doesn’t control the majority of phones in the country, it still has some say on the experience people have on those devices. Again, Google is trying to win over developers here, having recently announced that it would be allowing Chinese developers to sell their apps on the Play Store in countries where it’s not blocked.

Image: Cory M. Grenier via Flickr.