The government is investigating a search engine war between Web browser company Qihoo 360 Technology Co and China's biggest search engine Baidu.com, according to news portal 163.com.

Wang Xiaochuan, CEO of Sougou.com, said that a government bureau has asked Sougou's opinion on the search engine war, which means that the government is looking into the matter, the news portal said.

Search engine Sougou.com belongs to Chinese portal Sohu.com.

About a week ago, Qihoo 360 said that it would enter the search engine market and challenge Baidu. Last year, the company was also investigated by the government after starting an Internet security war with Tencent.com.

Baidu held about 79 percent of the online search market in China in the second quarter of 2012, according to domestic research company Analysys International.