Search Site Sticks to China

— -- Baidu.com Inc. Friday said its not planning to expand into Europe, following reports that China's largest search engine would announce such plans later this month.

"Recent rumors alleging that Baidu.com is expanding into Europe are groundless," the company said in in a brief statement released through its public-relations firm in Beijing.

On Sunday, the U.K.'s Telegraph newspaper reported that Baidu CFO Shawn Wang planned to announce details of a European expansion at a London conference. The newspaper did not name its source.

While Baidu's business is largely focused on China, where it dominates the search market, the company recently launched a Japanese search engine as a first, tentative foray into the international market. That site remains blocked in China.

Baidu officials have said they expect to spend US$15 million on the company's Japanese site this year.