Search engine Google.com (GOOG) has reportedly won its bid to secure a coveted Internet Content Provider license in China.

China's Ministry of Information Industry is responsible for handing out this main license to carry Internet content in China, and it also adds legitimacy to Google's China aspirations while perhaps allowing it to secure bigger and better advertising contracts.

Chinese search engine Baidu.com is still the top choice for Chinese netizens, with multiple surveys still showing Google far behind Baidu and other Chinese competitors.