FT: Google, China at Impasse

(Financial Times)  Google is "99.9 percent" certain it will have to close its Chinese search engine as talks with Chinese authorities about censorship with the Chinese authorities have reached an apparent dead end, according to a report in Saturday's Financial Times.

The paper says that Google has drawn up plans to close its Chinese search engine in the event that an impasse would force the shutdown of Google.cn.

Quoting an unidentified source "close to the search company," the FT reported that Google's top management was "adamant" about ending the censorship.

On Friday Li Yizhong, China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology, sent a barely-veiled warning to Google when he told reporters that foreign companies could not flout the country's laws.

"If you don't respect Chinese laws, you are unfriendly and irresponsible, and the consequences will be on you,", he said, responding to a hypothetical question about China's reaction if Google decided to stop filtering search results on Google.cn. "If you want to do something that disobeys Chinese law and regulations, you are unfriendly, you are irresponsible and you will have to pay the consequences."

Google has about 35 percent of the Chinese search market. About 384 million people use the Internet in China.

It's purely happenstance but history buffs may note that all this falls around the anniverary of the date Tim Berners-Lee submitted a proposal which ultimately would result in the creation of the World Wide Web.

[markmarks1]

?Great Firewall of China? ?that?s a good one. I support Google?s decision a hundred percent. I really admire how they respect freedom in the internet, and it's I guess the reason everyone loves Google. Having censorship in this age, and on a national level is insane. I really thoughtChina knew better, and would eventually get it. My miss, t6his was cool?
<a href="http://ketiva.com/Computers_and_Internet/google_divides_web_users_by_leaving_china.html">
http://ketiva.com/Computers_and_Internet/google_divides_web_users_by_leaving_china.html</a>

[formrusmcsgt]

by independent_midwesterner March 13, 2010 7:48 PM EST
Your worng, we are seeing Google is willing to stand up to communist totalitarianism and whimpy, Obama is not.
--
Your windows need washing....

[guest173]

the google ceo or someone like that was on Charlie Rose PBS and said China is too big a market to ignore. if they do leave, I think google will try to come back quickly, but I doubt they'll leave according to what they are saying on other interviews, not from "unidentified sources"

[cjs_cnet_xyz]

Yeah for Google. Shut down in China. With censorship within China should come boycotting of Chinese Internet companies outside China.

[akinos2009]

Another incident moving us towards a confrontational relationship with China.
This will not happen in Russia because they will not let them in.
Iran just apprehended 30 individuals involved in cyber warfare on
behalf of the United States Bush inaugurated program started back in 1996.
All three of these countries have one thing in common. They stand in the way of American interests, unlike our semi-bankrupt European friends.

[wheresmycountry]

China has lifted its restrictions on the number of children people can have, and has actually begun to encourage people to have more children. The government of China has stockpiled a cash surplus equivalent to 6 years of the average wage of the Chinese people. That means that in 17 years or so, they will have an enormous army they can pay to fight for more than 6 years without selling any exports.

Where can I take Chinese lessons, and which Chinese dialect shout I learn?

[wheresmycountry]

Google Earth's censorship of the Vice President's residence in Washington D.C. ended the moment Obama was sworn in. I've heard Cheney's current house is pixelated, when you can see everything else in the US, including Area 51. No joke!

[mgunn89512]

There were 2 issues, first was the the hacking of email accounts which has now been shown to be done with old technology by amateurs. Second, the general censorship issue by the chinese gov't which was not the main issue but got tacked onto the first. Note: the primary issue no longer appears to emanate from the chinese gov't but this story barely gets mentioned. Instead we are getting all excited about an old topic, censorship, and while I too wish for complete freedom I do see their point of view which is - we knew the rules going in and agreed and now we change our mind.

[independent_midwesterner]

Your worng, we are seeing Google is willing to stand up to communist totalitarianism and whimpy, Obama is not.

Secondly, if you think the Chinese govenment and military is using industrial espionage in and outside the United States you are clueless appeaser also!!!

[independent_midwesterner]

The Obama admnistration will let China destroy any American company that is a leader. Obama is continuing to appease totalitarian China at the expense of small business and American business.

If even Google is not protected, dotn expect your small business to even stand a chance against the communist, totalitarians and the meek Obama administration!!!

[ToolMangler1]

You really are 'clueless' aren't you!!

[hateisafourletterword]

No he is not clueless. He or she appear to be an independent by his or her name. Perhaps as independents and conservatives know, you do not offend the people who loan you vast sums of money.

Of course someone who mangles his tool is likely like most liberals in which case you have no problem criticizing those you borrow money from. Just look at the news recently. Every liberal in the world is blaming every bank, loan company and credit card company for the debt they signed for. So of course it is natural for you liberals to have no problem criticizing the lenders.

Problem for us is that Obama and Geithner need to make repeated trips to China and Saudi Arabia to convince them to lend us ever increasing amounts of money to pay for spending. Debt that our grandkids will someday have to pay off.

You think the students in Berkeley were mad about a few thousand in tuition increases last month, just watch out when they figure out the debt they voted for in November 2008.

[newsterl]

Skrew China!