Google launches localized Chinese version of its YouTube channel for developers

Yesterday Google announced the launch of a standalone Chinese-language version of its Google Developers YouTube channel (h/t TechCrunch).

The channel will feature original Chinese-language videos that instruct local developers how to integrate their software into Google’s ecosystem, as well as subtitled videos taken from the Google Developers channel. The video below, for example, explains how to register for a developer account on Google Play.

Since YouTube is inaccessible in China due to the Great Firewall, developers based in the mainland will presumably have to use a VPN in order to access the videos.

Offering localized resources for developers is nothing new for Google – many of the videos on its flagship Google Developers channel are in languages other than English.

But the launch of a Chinese standalone channel is noteworthy because it marks a concerted attempt to bridge the gap between the Chinese and global internet, which continue to grow increasingly distanced. It’s easy for western developers to lament on the difficulties of breaking into the Chinese market, but the same could be said of Chinese developers looking to crack markets abroad. Up until last November, no infrastructure was in place for Chinese developers to earn money in Google Play. Moreover, China’s dizzying number of third-party Android app stores makes building just for China a tall order in and of itself.

While Google has a minimal consumer-facing presence in mainland China, the company has maintained staff in Beijing and Shanghai that focus on engineering, as well as ad sales for domestic clients looking to reach international customers. The Chinese channel for developers marks yet another effort to deepen Google’s reach in China, even if that reach doesn’t necessarily touch the average Chinese smartphone owner.

Editing by Steven Millward, top image by Cory M. Greiner