Baidu.com's (BIDU) Chief Technology Officer Jerry Liu will be leaving the Chinese search engine on December 19, 2006.

"Under Jerry's management, our technology team has attracted outstanding personnel and been at the forefront of online search technology in China," said Robin Li, Baidu's Chairman and CEO. "We wish Jerry all the best in his future endeavours."

The company's statement says Liu is leaving for personal reasons.

"It has been a great privilege to play a role in making Baidu the leader in Chinese search," said Jerry Liu. "With one of the best technology teams in the internet industry worldwide focused on enhancing user experience, I have no doubt that Baidu will continue to break new ground in search innovation."