Google Maps updates from Taiwan and China

From The Taipei Times - (Oct.6/05):
Google defends map service listing
(an update from a previous post)

"We rely on international naming conventions to find a consistent policy," said Debbie Frost, a spokeswoman for the California-based company. She said the company hasn't yet been contacted by Taiwanese officials but is "eager to communicate with them to hear and understand their concerns. Google doesn't yet have any operations in China but plans to open a research center there soon, Frost said. "We hope Google will respect the fact that Taiwan is an independent state and not a province of China," a ministry official said. (more..)
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From the Asia Times (Oct.8/05):
Google maps China strategy

Locator maps launched this year at bendi.google.com specifically target the China market, and Chinese users can also get Google's downloads and free email. (more..)