China's top search engine Baidu Inc on Friday launched its new mobile application system, Baidu Yi, it said in a statement.

The platform, based on Google's Android mobile operating system, will include applications such as maps and an online store.

Baidu, which runs China's largest search engine with an over 80 percent market share, has been aggressively diversifying into e-commerce, online video and online travel to bolster growth and increase competitiveness.

An array of Chinese Internet firms and telco gear makers have launched self-developed smartphones in order to gain a foothold in a market still dominated by feature phones.

Alibaba Group, China's largest e-commerce firm, launched a smartphone running its own mobile operating system in late July that will feature cloud-based applications and Internet search.

Huawei Technologies similarly launched its cloud computing smartphones in August.

(Reporting by Melanie Lee; Writing by Kazunori Takada; Editing by Jason Subler)

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