HTC is targeting China with a mobile operating system of its own. The new OS will include deep integration with Chinese apps like Weibo, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. 

The project reportedly was concieved two years ago, when HTC first said it had aspirations to develop an OS of its own. 

According to the report, HTC’s China-specific OS is part of a broader strategy by the Chinese government to encourage a homegrown software ecosystem to reduce dependence on foriegn providers like Apple and Google. HTC has been in discussions with the Chinese government while developing the platform. 

It is unknown whether the new OS will be entirely proprietary or built over Android. 

China has emerged as a major market for all OEMs. Apple this past week was rumored to be close to a deal with China Mobile, which at 740 million subscribers is the largest wireless carrier in the world. 

China Telecom and China Unicom, the second and third biggest carriers in China, both carry the iPhone and have seen boosts in data consumption because of it.

Apple’s share of China’s smarpthone market has continued to decrease recently, falling over half to 5 percent in the second quarter, according to Canalys. Samsung holds the top spot in China with 18 percent, followed by Lenovo in second place.