A Google Inc display at a recent information technology exhibition in Beijing.
Google Inc, the most-used search engine, will buy a stake in Xunlei Networking Technology Co Ltd, a Chinese peer-to-peer file sharing network operator.
"We will announce the details of the deal tomorrow," said Xunlei spokesman Jackson Zhang.
Google is reportedly partnering with Ceyuan Ventures, a Shanghai-based venture capital firm for the investment. Neither company was available for comment.
Shenzhen-based Xunlei provides a peer-to-peer file sharing network and download accelerating services. More than 80 million users have installed its download accelerating software and its websites attract more than 50 million visitors a day, the company said.
Analysts said Xunlei's huge user base could help boost Google's growth in China, where it is struggling to catch up with local competitor Baidu.com.
"Xunlei could allow Google to bundle its toolbars to Xunlei's software and websites, and thus help increase Google's users," said Tiger Hou, research director at the iResearch Consulting Group.
Google, which launched its Chinese website earlier last year, has been scrabbling for market share, and faces fierce competition from both Baidu and Yahoo.
Baidu, a local search engine, held nearly 57 percent of the market by the end of June, according to Analysys International, a Beijing-based IT research company.
In comparison, Google's share was merely around 16 percent.
Credit Suisse Group estimated that Baidu's market share would rise to 56 percent next year, almost triple Google's projected 19 percent, according to a September 28 report.
In 2004, Google bought 2.6 percent of Baidu's stake in the company's last round of financing before its share offering on the NASDAQ. Google later cashed out after Baidu's listing.
Zou Shenglong and Cheng Hao, two computer graduates from Duke University, established Xunlei in 2003.
The Shenzhen-based company is said to have raised around $10 million in its previous round of financing from IDG and Morningside Technologies, two venture capital firms.
链接：
迅雷证实将于2007年1月5日下午在北京宣布和Google建立战略合作伙伴关系，会上迅雷CEO邹胜龙将会宣布新一轮融资成功。届时迅雷CEO邹胜龙，Google大中华区总裁李开复和迅雷COO程浩都将出席。
消息人士透露，与Google一同注资的美国国际数据集团IDG风险投资和Morningside Asia顾问公司。
业内人士分析称，Google此举是希望迅雷帮他们带流量，也有可能通过迅雷推广Google工具条。他说：“Google中国肯定需要某种合作，使得他们流量不再继续下跌。”
迅雷是国内主要的下载服务提供商，曾在2003年和2005年分别获得IDG、Morningside两笔风投。迅雷是从下载软件起家，但现在也进入 P2P视频下载市场。业内人士分析Google的这次投资和收购YouTube的情况颇为相似，“Google可能以这种曲线方式在中国进入视频领域”。
此前，业内盛传迅雷已经获得新一轮融资，投资方为Google。港台媒体也有报道称，李开复透露衡量购并或投资对象的标准，至少要具备技术、团队或是用户规模等其中一项的优势。迅雷在用户规模方面能符合李开复的标准。
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