China’s Pricey Answer to the iPad (AAPL, GOOG)

An unnamed Chinese company has begun selling a competitive device to the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPad in China. The tablet is called the RedPad No. 1, and uses a version of the Android operating system from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). The RedPad sells for about $1,600, double the price of the iPad.

The tablet is directed at Communist Party members, who get the RedPad loaded with politically-blessed apps such as one for the official party newspaper.

Critics inside China view the device as a gift to Communist Party members:

[A]n online survey on Thursday showed that more than 2,000 netizens believed that the RedPad was meant to be a symbol of privilege, while another 1,500 thought its purpose is to fleece taxpayers.

A spokesman for RedPad said that the tablet intends to compete with foreign brands and that sales are driven by demand from the market. We’ll see.