Clinton: China Needs to Probe Google Case

(CBS/AP)  Updated at 11:25 a.m. EST

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday urged China to investigate cyber intrusions that led Google to threaten to pull out of that country — and challenged Beijing to openly publish its findings.

"Countries that restrict free access to information or violate the basic rights of Internet users risk walling themselves off from the progress of the next century," she said, adding that the U.S. and China "have different views on this issue, and we intend to address those differences candidly and consistently."

She cited China as among a number of countries where there has been "a spike in threats to the free flow of information" over the past year. She also named Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Egypt and Vietnam.

Clinton made her remarks in a wide-ranging speech about Internet freedom and its place in U.S. foreign policy.

"Some countries have erected electronic barriers that prevent their people from accessing portions of the world's networks," she said.

"They have expunged words, names and phrases from search engine results," Clinton said. "They have violated the privacy of citizens who engage in nonviolent political speech."

Earlier this month, Google said that it will remain in China only if the government relents on rules requiring the censorship of content the ruling communist party considers subversive. The ultimatum came after Google said it uncovered a computer attack that tried to plunder its software coding and the e-mail accounts of human rights activists protesting Chinese policies.

State Department officials have said they intend soon to lodge a formal complaint with Chinese officials over the Google matter, which a senior Chinese government official said Thursday should not affect U.S.-China relations.

Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said in Beijing, "The Google case should not be linked with relations between the two governments and countries; otherwise, it's an over-interpretation," according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

The Xinhua report did not mention censorship, instead referring to Google's "disagreements with government policies."

CBS News' chief political consultant Marc Ambinder reports that the U.S. government, according to his sources, has "solid evidence" that not only was the attack on Google mounted by hackers in China, it was sanctioned by the government.

However, Ambinder points out, as there are seven separate ministries in China which work to regulate cyberspace, U.S. officials aren't sure whether the order for the attack came from senior Chinese leaders, or whether it was mounted independently by an intelligence agency as part of a larger collection plan. What also confuses officials is the dual nature of the targets: some human rights activists with interests in Tibetan politics found their Gmail exploited, but so did large U.S. defense contractors.

The Xinhua report did not mention censorship, instead referring to Google's "disagreements with government policies."

In a passage of her speech before she explicitly mentioned the Google matter, Clinton spoke broadly about the connection between information freedom and international business.

"Countries that censor news and information must recognize that, from an economic standpoint, there is no distinction between censoring political speech and commercial speech," she said. "If businesses in your nation are denied access to either type of information, it will inevitably reduce growth."

"Increasingly, U.S. companies are making the issue of information freedom a greater consideration in their business decisions," she added. "I hope that their competitors and foreign governments will pay close attention to this trend."

She then raised the Google case.

"We look to Chinese authorities to conduct a thorough review of the cyber intrusions that led Google to make its announcement," she said, referring to Google's recent statement that it is reconsidering its business operations in China. "We also look for that investigation and its results to be transparent."

Ambinder also reports that, according to sources with direct knowledge of the U.S. investigation, Google does believe that some of its own employees were working with Chinese intelligence operatives in the hack.

"Figuring out how to discipline them - and investigate the extent of the penetration - is proving incredibly challenging given their locale and their own tensions with Chinese authorities," says Ambinder. The sources, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity, tell Ambinder that Google's internal investigation is being assisted by the FBI and NSA.

There have already been aftershocks from Google's announcement. On Tuesday, Google postponed the launch of two mobile phones in China, adding to the potential commercial fallout from the dispute with Beijing.

The delay affects separate phones made by Motorola and Samsung. The handsets are both powered by Android, a mobile operating software system developed by Google. Both phones were scheduled to debut this week, with China Unicom Ltd. serving as the carrier.

[anthonysfire]

This woman's going to dictate to *us* how to live, as well as China? Houston, we've got a problem. Lord, she couldn't even control her own husband.

No proof or substantiation of the Google hack - just silly he said she said. Google's got their panties in a bunch since porn generates their greatest revenue and China doesn't want it. China, does, after all, have the largest population of Internet users in the world. We've got parent's screaming all across the Nation that predators are stalking their kids online, etc....husbands addicted to porn....wives finding online lovers, 15 year olds flying across the world to meet a predator they found online, .etc...and this is what we're wanting to share the joy with China when the current average American user cannot responsibly protect themselves and their children online? Let alone the *quote* big dogs such as Google and Micro$oft (who took stimulus money (yes, from the taxpayers) to build a bridge for their employees) - both of whom contributed astronomical amounts of money to the Obama campaign? You've got a White House that doesn't even know what or who a Cyber Czar is, censorship in America now like I've never seen it, and you're giving kudos for the "Clinton Doctrine"? Get real.

For Google to not accept or admit responsibility for not protecting their users is typical of the mindset of many Americans today, and for Google to make Mama Obama's team of flunkies fight their battles when they slacked is pathetic. IF, of course, it is true, which many with any sense are doubting.

Our media is run by Disney World and this Washington circus of attempting to control and dictate when they're all two french fries short of a Happy Meal is nothing more than entertainment and needs to be taken as such.

Why is our " Secretary of State" getting into a *** for tat with China (when we owe them *trillions*) over this silliness and stone throwing when we've got a neighboring Nation with one of the worst natural disasters of all time. Shows where the US priorities are. Sad indeed.

[quotelawrence]

SHE SOUNDS TOUGH CAN WE BORRROW MORE MONEY

[wcreader]

Hillary Clinton has made high pitch remarks and attack in the media on China: Google/cyber intrusions. Wait, if one really wants to dialog and talk? Does Hillary forget she has a direct hot line to Mr Hu's office (Wait, who is Mr Hu? President of China, Mrs Clinton). Just make a call! stop blaming others on something else when you are not doing well on the real job! How much Google pay you for PR?

Secretary of State: "They have violated the privacy of citizens ......"
Wow, didn't or don't Uncle SAM violated the privacy of citizens by wire in to all the cell phone call, all our emails and text messages too. At the same time, funding all the extreme special interest groups to make attack on the "evil" one?

i) Whom (person or website) in the cyber space had not been attack? ii) Whom, who have kids at home, would like to allow un-restrict free access to internet? do we feel save and want them to expose to all the violent, pornography, and extreme viewpoint, terrorism??
iii) For a nation, there is also real national safety concern.
These are all China's fault??

We are not saying that isolation should encourage. Many, as China, may believe in control and but Not isolation. They open their door for 30 years now. it is their law. They claim the goal is national safety, prevent terrorist, prevent violent and pornography. Limit in what degree? There is always room for improve. Via dialog, Via communication is logical approach for Google to talk to the related department in China. In 3o years, the Chinese government has continue to promote business in China, people's were life improved, results in 3rd world economy body; it is NOT their interest to attack business firm whom staying in China. The claim of attack on business firm in China by the Chinese Gov. does not seem to match with common sense.

Anyway, Not no call direct when one has a direct hot line but to use media make high profile remarks seems nothing real but PR and solely political attack, the nature of politician to make self looks better.

Just wonder when do politicians to stop playing political blaming game and to face own failures! In the first year of administration, Trillion of dollars has been spend, banker is richer, people stil un-employ, economy still stack. Yet the "evil" China whom you have demonized has successfully helping the farmers in the countryside and the low income family to have washing machine, cell phone, TV, computers and even cars; building high speed rail (350Km/hour) to short the distance between cities, Build solar and wind field ..in the same one year, that is 8.9% growth in China without most increase in export.

Is that Shame?
It seems that Secretary of State talk the talk, the "evil" one per Google and per Hillary Rodham Clinton, Walk the walk. Isn't that odd?

BTW, Isn't Baidu, the Chinese searching engine, was attacked and down for half day after Hillary met with Google and possible before Google email been hacked? Why single out only Google as a victim? Why AP/CBS only did not report that? One-sided only story?

[wcreader]

Hillary Clinton has made high pitch remarks and attack in the media on China: Google/cyber intrusions. Wait, if one really want to dialog and talk? Does Hillary forget she has a direct hot line to Mr Hu's office (Wait, who is Mr Hu? President of China, Mrs Clinton). Just make a call! stop blaming others on someting else when you are not doing well on the real job! How much Google pay you for PR?

Secretary of State:"They have violated the privacy of citizens ......"
Wow, didn't or don't Uncle SAM violated the privacy of citizens by wire in to all the cell phone call, all our emails and text messages too. At the same time, funding all the extreme special interest groups to make attack on the "evil" one?

BTW,
i) Whom (person or website) in the cyber space had not been attack? ii) Whom, who have kids at home, would like to allow un-restrict free access to internet? do we feel save and want them to expose to all the violent, pornography, and extreme viewpoint, terrorism??
iii) For a nation, there is also real national safety concern.
These are all China's fault??

We are not saying that isolation should encourage. Many, as China, may believe in control and but Not isolation. They open their door for 30 years now. it is their law. They claim the goal is national safety, prevent terrorist, prevent violent snd pornography. Limit in what degree? There is always room for improve. Via dialog, Via communication is logical approach for Google to talk to the related department in China. In 3o years, the Chinese government has continue to promote business in China, people's were life improved, results in 3rd world economy body; it is NOT their interest to attack business firm whom staying in China. The claim of attack on business firm in China by the Chinese Gov. does not seem to match with common sense.

Anyway, Not no call direct when one has a direct hot line but to use media make high profile remarks seems nothing real but PR and solely political attack, the nature of politician to make self looks better.

Just wonder when do politicians to stop playing political blaming game and to face own failures! In the first year of administration, Trillion of dollars has been spend, banker is richer, people stil un-employ, economy still stack. Yet the "evil" China whom you have demonized has successfully helping the farmers in the countryside and the low income family to have washing machine, cell phone, TV, computers and even cars; building high speed rail (350Km/hour) to short the distance between cities, Build solar and wind field ..in the same one year, that is 8.9% growth in China without most increase in export.

Is that Shame?
It seems that Secretary of State talk the talk, the "evil" one per Google and per Hillary Rodham Clinton, Walk the walk. isn't that odd?

[ksmit2]

Google is a "grown up" let it handle its own problems. It is in a
foreign country where it has chosen to do business. Neither Clinton nor
anyone else has any business telling China what it should or should not
do. You don't hear politicians from other countries complaining about
the US passing laws that enabled our banks to hobble millions of
customers with doubled interest rates, or millions bankrupted by
medical bills.

[easternview]

uhm, really? Did she really think China would give a D*** about it? Maybe we need to pay off all the debts before having any say about China. sigh.

[Union76]

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is a disgusting sack of ****. She does not say one word about China's horrible human rights abuse or anything about Tibet but she gets involved when it's a business such as Google. HELLary why don't you get a conscious, you already have a tail-bone now get a backbone.

[pugster]

Clinton is just spewing the usual garbage. China is 'censoring' porn by going after companies or people who try to distribute them. Of course Clinton didn't give them any any credit for it.

[pdxdave]

"Clinton: China Needs to Probe Google Case"

Oh, please.

That's like asking Michael Jackson to probe child molestation accusations at Neverland.

DUUUUUHHHH.... Hillary really is a drooling moron.

[pnut134]

I hope Google sticks to it's guns. Yahoo should have.

[ksmit2]

In part, it is because millions of our kids are playing "Rock band" and
"Halo", or watching trash like "Two and a half men" on tv, while twice as
many of their kids the same age are doing their calculus homework, and
learning to write the software that runs just about everything you can
imagine.

[koko98-2009]

I want to know why the geeks who put us on the moon and built Atari can't organize and pull off a cyber attack that would bring China to it's knees? Where is that Yankee know-how when we need it?