Baidu.com, China's leading search engine, has started its first foray into the international market in the form of a new Japanese language search engine.

As well as web page and image searches, the new Japanese search engine offers advanced searches and user help.

The new search engine was housed on single page with no links to services until recently, with no indication of when the service was launched.

Reuters reports Baidu set up a Japanese subsidiary to register the address for its Japanese search engine.

It also says Baidu chairman Robin Li has expressed interest in launching a Korean-language search engine.