Well, the details are lacking a bit, but at the very least they're going a bit further than most other OEMs by stripping out all of the Google goodness (and I presume the Android Marketplace) and replacing with their own (and thus avoiding the google licensing fees... and avoiding using a competitor's main product).
I think they even are replacing the Maps service not just Google Search. Just to mention this explicitly.
The maps app is blocked/isn't available in China, so it makes sense to replace it here.