The move effectively means the company no longer needs to filter its search results, as required by Chinese law.
Although Google’s exit is good news for its rivals, chiefly Baidu, Sogou and up-and-comer Tencent, many experts said it is a “lose-lose situation” for both China and the US-based company.
The initial reaction from the authorities came via an unnamed State Council information official who told Xinhua News Agency that Google had “violated its written promise it made when entering the Chinese market (in 2006) by stopping filtering its search service and blaming China, in insinuation, for alleged hacker attacks”.
“This is totally wrong. We’re uncompromisingly opposed to the politicization of commercial issues, and express our discontent and indignation to Google for its unreasonable accusations and conduct,” the official said.
However, just hours later, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular press briefing that the government would handle the case “according to law”, and that the move was an isolated act by a commercial company and should not affect China-US ties “unless politicized”.
Philip Crowley, a US State Department spokesman, said on Monday it was “a decision for Google to make”. – read more at ChinaDaily.com…
