Google China
The Financial Times says,
One of China’s top propaganda officials on Thursday reaffirmed the state’s commitment to censoring the internet, showing no sign of compromising in the face of Google’s threat to quit the country.
Wang Chen, head of the State Council Information Office and deputy head of the Communist party’s propaganda department, said internet media “must live up to their responsibility of maintaining internet security”.
“We must do our best to intensify self-discipline among internet media to guarantee internet security,” he said.
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Henry Blodget approves of Google’s actions. He said,
Google’s decision to make a big public threat now, when it controls 15%-20% of China’s search market and is known to most Chinese Internet users, will put far more pressure on the Chinese government to relax its policies than a boycott of the country five years ago would have.
Google matters in China now. The announcement that Google was threatening to pull out spawned public support for the company in China. It got Secretary of State Hillary Clinton into the act. It forced the Chinese government to respond with a statement. It has grabbed the attention of investors, as well as the hundreds of other companies that do business in China and are forced to play by Chinese rules. It will focus more public attention on the reality of China’s censorship policies than any boycott ever could have.
In short, by playing ball with China until it had some real leverage, Google has a much better chance of actually forcing the government to change.
While the GoogleGazer does not always find himself in agreement with Mr. Blodget, in this instance. We all need to hope he is right.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | Google Chine, Hendy Blodget
