Amazon has become the first Western technology firm to offer paid-for Android apps in China – beating Google. Google’s Chinese store only offers free apps.

Amazon’s move paves the way for it to launch its Kindle e-reader devices in the country. As well as curating existing apps, Amazon said it will work with local developers to create programs specifically for local users.

Compared to its dominant position in other countries such as the US and UK, Amazon controlled less than 3% of China’s massive 169bn yuan (£17.6bn) business-to-consumer e-commerce market in the fourth quarter last year. This move by Amazon was a cracking decision and might prove troublesome for Google in later years.