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GOOGLE has missed a deadline to re-register as an ''internet content provider'' in China, which observers say is a sign that it is preparing to shut down its search engine there.

Google stocks has dropped Monday following media reports that the search giant is close to shutting down its search engine in China. Shares of Google fell $20.22, or 3.5%, to $559.32 in afternoon trading. Google shares have traded between $527.74 and $579.16 since the beginning of March.

Baidu (the number one search engine in china) shares rose $20.76, or 3.8%, to $571. Earlier, the stock hit a 52-week high of $628.50. It has ranged from $158 to $559.47 over the past year.

Although Google's Chinese search engine, accounts for less than 1% of Google's total revenue (Google holds about 35% of the country's search market, compared with about 60% for Baidu), if google shut down operations there, they are going to lose alot of future potential revenues in China because China has the world's largest Internet population.

Here are some links for more details:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industrie ... hina_N.htm
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/g ... utostart=1

Too bad, no more Googling in China. Still it has not officially move out yet. Google may just working it out. China is a huge market.