Internet search giant's $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility is likely to close this week, with the Chinese regulators having given their approval to the deal --- on the condition that Google ensures the Android mobile operating system's availability at no cost for five years.

The approval by the Chinese authorities marks the clearing of the last impediment in the way of the Google-Motorola deal which - first announced in August last year - has already received all the required regulatory approvals.

The hold up in the approval of the deal by the Chinese regulators was essentially an upshot of the fact that Google's relations with Chinese government have been strained ever since the company moved its search engine out of the country two years back, in a disagreement over censorship and computer security.

The acquisition of Motorola will give Google the advantage of making a strategic expansion into the manufacturing of a number of devices, including handsets, tablets, and computers. In addition, the purchase of Motorola will also give Google the access to Motorola's over 17,000-strong patent portfolio.

With the authorities in China approving the Google-Motorola Mobility agreement on Saturday, Google has clearly inched closer to the materialization of its biggest-ever deal. Confirming the approval of the Chinese regulators to Google's takeover of Motorola Mobility, Google spokeswoman Niki Fenwick said in a statement: "We look forward to closing the deal."