Chinese regulators have approved Apple's iPad 3, possibly moving the company closer to launching the latest version of its tablet in the fast-growing Chinese market.

The Chinese government's telecommunications equipment certification agency identified the product as A1430 in an announcement dated Monday. That is the model number of the third generation version of the iPad sold in the United States.

An Apple Inc. spokeswoman in Beijing said the company had no comment.

China is Apple's second-largest market after the United States and the source of much of its global sales growth. But the company has released popular products in China behind other markets.

Apple is in the midst of a legal battle with a local company over ownership of the iPad name in China.