Google's webmail service Gmail was reportedly blocked in China on Friday, after months of disruptions leading to the service only being available through protocols.

It is not the first time Google has been hit with the ban hammer in China, in 2011 the government removed Google search, leading to the growth of alternatives like Baidu in the country. 

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Even though it is unclear whether the Chinese government or Google removed Gmail in China, it is clear there has been bad blood between the two organizations for some time.

In June 2014, Gmail's first-party client was blocked, forcing users to protocols like IMAP, SMTP and POP3. Utilizing other clients like Outlook and iOS Mail also allowed Chinese users to log into Gmail.

Gmail is still a major service for businesses in China, using the platform to connect with Western clients. Most Chinese email services do not offer the same global index Google can offer with Gmail.

Some reports claim the Chinese government is starting to crackdown more heavily on Western services, but there is no factual evidence to support the crackdown. China has been focusing most of its internet efforts stopping the spread of illegal material in 2014. 

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said "China has consistently had a welcoming and supportive attitude towards foreign investors doing legitimate business here ...We will, as always, provide an open, transparent and good environment for foreign companies in China."

Chunying also denied the Chinese government's involvement in removing Gmail.

Google has not commented on the recent removal, but the Transparency Report shows a major drop in traffic from China on Friday.

While Google struggles to work with the Chinese government, another western internet company, Facebook, is currently trying to court Chinese officials to unban the social network.

TagsGmail, email, Great Firewall