Looks like the iPed’s days are numbered – Cupertino has announced from on high today that the magical iPad will soon go on sale in China.

Er, the Wi-Fi models, at least, for a suggested retail price of 元3988 (16GB) to 元5588 (64GB) – only a bit more expensive than over here. Not to shabby. The official PR hucks around all the usual ‘magicals’ and whatnot, and tells you everything you’re sick to death of hearing about iPads, so I’ll spare you.

But where’s the 3G at? Something tells me there’s probably a little government red tape in there, but honestly, I probably would spring for a Wi-Fi-only model anyway. If I’m going 3G, I want a phone.

This is, like, if I lived in China, of course.

With so many bootlegged iPad’s floating around the Chinese market – including the aforementioned ‘Ped, which isn’t even that terrible – I wonder how the real thing will measure up.

Oh, who are we kidding. China is the largest market in the world. The bank is probably getting pretty sick of hearing Big Steve laugh all the way to it.