According to the new standard issued by the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, all Internet mapping services that have not applied for a license will be shut down on February 1, China News Service reported. Google has not applied for its Internet mapping license, which means it is likely that its mapping service in China will shut down.

Google Maps API is so far the most used application programming interface in the country. If Google withdraws its net mapping service, hundreds of Chinese commercial mapping service websites based on the free Google Maps will be severely influenced, and millions of people who use smart phones such as iPhone and Android system, which are powered by Google Maps, will inevitably be affected.

(China.org.cn February 2, 2012)

据中国新闻网报道，国家测绘地理信息局印发的新规定要求，2月1日起，未申请互联网地图服务资质的单位一律不得从事互联网地图服务。谷歌目前仍未申请相关资质，很可能因此而退出其在中国的互联网地图服务。

据了解，谷歌的地图API接口是目前使用量最大的API接口。一旦谷歌退出，基于免费的谷歌地图而发展起来的数百家国内商业地图服务网站就会受到严重冲击。另外，由于iPhone手机以及应用Android系统的智能手机都内置了谷歌地图，数百万iPhone和安卓等智能手机用户也将无可避免的受到影响。