SAN FRANCISCO — Google plans to stop automatically sending users in mainland China to its uncensored Hong Kong site, in an effort to appease Beijing as it seeks to renew its license to operate in China.

The action, experts on China say, amounts to a symbolic gesture that Google hopes will placate the Chinese government, which may be feeling pressure from citizens who are demanding continued access to Google’s search engine.

Google may also be hoping the Chinese government wants to avoid another showdown over Web censorship on the eve of a coming visit to the United States by President Hu Jintao.

Since it said earlier this year that it could no longer justify filtering its search results in China to meet government requirements, Google has found a clever way to continue to operate in the country.