Chinese regulators have extended the antitrust review of Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings, said Illinois-based Motorola Mobility in a regulatory filing.

According to the filing, the Anti-Monopoly Bureau of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has extended the second phase of the investigation into the deal. Motorola and Google still expect to close the deal in the first half of this year, but are unable to give assurances that it will be approved by MOFCOM.

"We continue to await regulatory approval in China and to work closely with regulators, said Google's Tokyo-based spokesperson Taj Meadows. He continued: "Google and Motorola Mobility together will enhance competition in mobile computing, offering consumers faster innovation and a wider range of choices."

MOFCOM spokesperson Shen Danyang declined to comment on the extension of review.

Google announced last August that it would buy Motorola Mobility for US$12.5 billion, a deal through which Google can get hold of the 17,000 patents issued by Motorola worldwide.

Contact the writer of this story at: yanp@china.org.cn.