HONG KONG—Internet giant Google’s decision to stop cooperating with Chinese government censorship requirements was welcomed by overseas activists and U.S. politicians, as an industry report claimed to have verified that cyber-attacks on the Gmail accounts of Chinese activists were indeed the work of Beijing.
“With its remarkable statement…that it is ‘no longer willing to continue censoring’ results on its Chinese search engine, Google sent a thrill of encouragement through the hearts of millions of Chinese human rights activists and political and religious dissidents,” U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican, said.
Smith and other lawmakers called on Congress to pass the Global Online Freedom Act, which would prevent U.S. information technology (IT) firms from being forced to cooperate in censorship efforts.
The proposal was also backed by South Carolina Republican Bob Inglis, who said Beijing’s political survival depended on censorship.
“Chinese authorities know that if citizens have access [to information] and the freedom to discuss the full scope and severity of the Communist Party’s rule, the Party’s survival will be put at risk,” he said.
Inglis said Google has provided an example of “courage and corporate responsibility” for other U.S. companies in China to follow.
Dissident praise
Two prominent exiled leaders of ethnic minorities unhappy with Chinese rule also welcomed Google’s announcement that it would cease to comply with official censorship and review its China operations.
“Many thanks to Google Inc, because my people are eager to hear that the conscience of the international community is still alive,” exiled Uyghur businesswoman Rebiya Kadeer said in an interview.
She added that Google’s decision not only promotes business ethics, but shows that activism can be effective without the use of violence or money.
“The protection of human rights is not simply a mission for NGOs or the duty of a few parliamentarians in the West, it is ultimately a human value that the world must step forward and accept,” she said.
But Kadeer reminded supporters of Google’s decision that the Uyghur community in China, in the midst of a crackdown led by authorities following violent ethnic riots last July, is faced with more immediate concerns than uncensored use of the Internet.
“After July 5, my people’s struggle is not for the protection of personal information, our struggle is to end Chinese authority. Our main concern is not the expression of freedom, our concern is survival,” she said.
The official Web site of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, based in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala, displayed a photograph showing an office worker in Beijing looking at photos of the Dalai Lama online.
Images of the revered Tibetan leader are banned inside Chinese territory, and possession of them can lead to a lengthy prison term.
The Dalai Lama also linked to the original announcement by Google on Twitter.
Google’s original blog post said a key reason for its reappraisal of its future in China was two cyber-attacks on the Gmail accounts of two human rights activists.
A report issued Wednesday by the Internet security company Verisign’s iDefense Lab said it had traced the servers that initiated the attacks to those used by the Chinese government
The report quoted sources in the defense contracting and intelligence consulting communities as saying that the Chinese government was definitely behind the attacks on Google.
Calls to follow
Google’s announcement has also sparked calls in Washington for other U.S. IT companies to follow its example.
“This principled stand will surely give hope to the millions—to the millions—of Chinese people who yearn for freedom, and cry out for basic human rights,” Virginia Republican Congressman Frank Wolf said.
But Harry Wu, a former political prisoner in China and now president of the Washington-based Laogai Foundation, said it was unlikely that Beijing would let Google operate uncensored search results for long.
“Can you ask to set up a television station, or a radio station, or a publishing house? No way,” Wu said.
“This is very important for China. So I do believe that the Chinese [government] will reject Google’s request, and this will be a big problem.”
Separately, Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesman Yao Jian said at a regular press conference in Beijing on Friday that neither the Ministry of Commerce or the Beijing Commerce Committee had received any formal notice of withdrawal from Google for its two foreign investment enterprises in China.
He added that all overseas investors in China must respect the country’s laws and regulations and emphasized that regardless of Google’s final decision, it would not affect the trade relationship between China and the U.S.
Business reasons
Some analysts said Google’s potential withdrawal had less to do with politics than with the business environment in China.
Cheng Xiaonong, former editor of the U.S.-based Journal of Contemporary China, said Google had already run into problems in China, including a dispute over its scanning of the work of thousands of Chinese authors, criticism over pornographic content, followed by the resignation of CEO Li Kaifu.
“I looked at the figures, and it seems that China only represents around 10 percent of Google’s worldwide business,” Cheng said.
“It makes very low profits after it spent a huge amount on advertising and invested a great deal… So perhaps now they are assessing the situation and finding that they can cut their losses.”
Cheng said many foreign companies faced a politicized environment when trying to do business in China.
“This isn’t just a problem encountered now, with Google, but which has been there all along,” he said.
“Foreign companies all bow down when they go to China. Not one will stand up for itself.”
Professor Su Zhan of Canada’s Universite Laval said Google and many other Internet companies faced terrific pressure in China.
“Are they sacrificing their principles in order to be in China? Also, is it possible to do good business in China from an economic point of view? We must wait and see what happens next.”
Original reporting in Mandarin by Shi Shan, in Cantonese by Bat Tze-mak, in Uyghur by Shohret Hoshur and in English by Richard Finney. Mandarin service director: Jennifer Chou. Cantonese service director: Shiny Li. Uyghur service director: Dolkun Kamberi. Translated and written for the Web in English by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Sarah Jackson-Han.