Google Pulls Search Engine Out Of China

[Newsjock]

Source: Business Insider

Google's China domain, Google.cn, now redirects to Google.com.hk.

The new site reads, "Welcome to the new home of Google China search."

The switch means Google is no longer censoring search results for its Chinese visitors. Whether Chinese Internet can actually access Google.com.hk is another matter. It may be blocked by the Chinese government.

... The company said, "We intend to continue R&D work in China and also to maintain a sales presence there, though the size of the sales team will obviously be partially dependent on the ability of mainland Chinese users to access Google.com.hk."

One big immediate change as a result of the domain switch: Users can look up pictures of the infamous 1989 Tianamen Square protest.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-pulls-out-of-china-2010-3

[SPedigrees]

1. Good for Google! nt

[HeresyLives]

2. Oooh, majorly dumb move.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Fearless]

10. Why?

[HeresyLives]

12. As it says downthread,

China can simply nationalize everything Google has there, including in Hong Kong, and deport the lot of them.

[thereismore]

54. Said Goliath. nt

[HeresyLives]

69. LOL that's hilarious!

[Robb]

121. Yes, I agree.

[superconnected]

101. Nope, it saves lives. China was using the information to arrest citizens and likely to execute them

Microsoft needs to step up and be next.

If you think searching for p*rn should land someone in prison, then I suppose you should be on China's side in this.

[HeresyLives]

102. Google broke it's contract. Boot.

[superconnected]

104. Good!

[MineralMan]

3. That's interesting. When did Hong Kong stop being part of

China? I must have missed the news.

[HeresyLives]

5. Exactly.

I thot Google would be more up to date than that.

China can nationalize everything Google owns over there.

[MineralMan]

11. They should look up Hong Kong on Wikipedia, I think.

I know Wikipedia is on Google.

[HeresyLives]

13. Good idea.

I don't understand this move at all.

[Xithras]

19. Hong Kong is a special administrative area in China with a different legal structure.

And it's not traditionally considered to be part of "mainland China".

Most importantly, it's legal system is autonomous from the rest of China in all areas except the military and foreign relations. None of Chinas other laws apply there. It has its own courts, its own legislature, it's own civil rights codes, and its own trade policies. When you fly in, your passport is stamped by Hong Kong, and not China. It is, in effect, an independent nation within another nation.

For Google, relocationg to Hong Kong gives them access to China without subjecting them to Chinese law. It's the same reason that so many other foreign corporations keep their offices there.

[HeresyLives]

20. A pleasant fiction.

[Xithras]

22. China wouldn't dare nationalize assets in Hong Kong.

There's a reason why "One Country, Two Systems" was implemented, and the reason is simple. HK brings hundreds of billions of dollars into the Chinese economy every year, and it only does that because the "pleasant fiction" provides assurance to both the foreign and domestic corporations operating in Hong Kong that their assets are relatively safe.

China, from a military standpoint, could roll troops across the border and nationalize the whole thing without a fight tomorrow, but they're fully aware that the result would be an economic catastrophe for them. Those corporate offices in Hong Kong are the brain centers that operate factories employing tens of millions of people in factories across China. They need Hong Kong, as is, to keep their export economy working as it does today. They're not going to risk scaring off investors and foreign corporations by crossing the border to shut down or nationalize one pesky website company.

[HeresyLives]

24. Who would stop them?

The world isn't about to stop investing in China...there's too much money to be made.

[Xithras]

25. It would be a phyrric victory.

The world might not stop investing in China, but it might move its operational centers offshore to Korea, Taiwan, or the Phillipines, all of which would be happy to have them.

And yes, there would be some impact on investment. Companies investing in China today are doing so under the promise and presumption that their investments will remain private. Only a fool throws money at an investment when there's a decent chance that it will be seized without compensation. China knows full well that breaking the economic noninterventionist spell will harm them in the long run. While there may eventually arise a situation that forces their hand, Google leaving the country isn't that situation. They're not going to break the confidence of investors over something as trivial as a website search engine. Especially when so many OTHER search engines (*cough*BING*cough*) are willing to bend over backwards and do what they say.

They'll run a PR campaign telling people how Google was "anti-Chinese" or "US shills", convince their people to use something else, and forget about it.

[HeresyLives]

28. Not going to happen.

[Xithras]

31. Believe what you want.

China is a viable investment market only so long as the capitalists believe that more money can be extracted from it than they have invested. If capitalists start believing that China will nationalize any assets they disagree with (and nationalization means no profit), they aren't going to invest. The willingness of investors to place capital in ANY nation is directly dependent on the willingness of the nation to permit the investors to profit from that investment. For investors, the SAFETY of their investments is just as important as its growth potential, if not more so. If you don't understand that, you don't understand capitalism. There is no allegiance to nations or markets, only to profit potential.

China has long taken a hands-off approach to foreign investment, and that approach has made them the darling of international investors. They're not going to spook those investors now by seizing one company over something so insignificant.

[HeresyLives]

32. It's not a question of belief.

[Yavin4]

108. China Has 1.325 Billion Mouths To Feed Every Day

They need to develop their economy and play nice with the world in order to survive. Sure, they oppress their own, but they have to be careful about how they perform on the world stage.

So, I agree with your take on things.

[HeresyLives]

112. Develop yes, play nice...no.

[Pavulon]

39. Exporting plastic dog shit.

that is what china does. It has zero to offer the american consumer who does not shop at walmart.

[ronnie624]

113. Pure twaddle. n/t

[Pavulon]

117. For any item made, the dorm room model is made in china

the grown up nice house model is made here or in europe. From coffee makers on up the scale.

[ronnie624]

120. You have no idea what you're talking about.

As a matter of fact, I don't know what you're talking about either.

[Pavulon]

128. They make cheap walmart shit. Not jets, cars, just cheap guitars.

You want a cheap guitar, made in china, want a really good guitar, made in the USA. Quality a challenge for china.

[ronnie624]

132. Not only do they manufacture cheap consumer goods,

which we all use (including you, despite your silly claims to the contrary), they manufacture components in consumer goods, both cheap and high-end. It may say "Made In Switzerland" or "Made in France" or "Made in USA", but the odds are, at least some portion of it was manufactured in China. You simply cannot go through life without buying "shit" made in China.

You have no idea what you're talking about. You simply babble.

[AlphaCentauri]

122. The Purchasing Power of the US consumer in $45-1982 = $100-2010

go figure what is our dependence from chinese goods

[Pavulon]

127. Plastic dog shit. Durable goods, cars, wide body jets, not so much.

you can be the first to own a $2500 chinese car, BTW that is what a decent coffin costs.

[Ian David]

4. I just got a Tweet that says CNN is reporting they are NOT pulling out of China.

http://twitter.com/bostonmarketer/status/10887936732

[HeresyLives]

7. Well, here's what's being reported here.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/google-reroutes-china-traffic/article1508310/

[Ian David]

8. I wonder how many Google executives in China are going to end-up in the organ banks? n/t

[HeresyLives]

9. More like broke and booted.

I dunno what Google is thinking. It's 'rah rah' stuff and all, but China holds all the cards.

[Robb]

14. Nonsense.

Tell me, what's the worst China could do to Google. Seize some physical assets? Please.

[HeresyLives]

15. Yes, seize their assets, deport them,

imprison any Chinese employees, and permanently ban Google from the 1.5B people market.

A huge loss for Google.

There are other seach engines willing to take their place, and China is quite capable of creating their own as well.

[proteus_lives]

27. "imprison any Chinese employees"?

And you would support that?

:puke:

[Robb]

38. "There are other search engines willing to take their place..."

:rofl:

You can't possibly be that ignorant about what Google does, can you?

I assume China doesn't have a "search engine" as profitable as Google's because of what, their generosity of spirit? Never thought of it?

China is many things. A threat to Google is not among them. Google employs tens of thousands worldwide and has a market cap in the hundreds of billions.

[HeresyLives]

41. China also has it's own Google.

So Google just lost a huge market.

[Robb]

43. Yes, you said that. Where is it? What does it do? How much money does it make?

This is China's loss, not Google's. Get that straight.

[HeresyLives]

45. It's called Baidu.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baidu

And any company that just dealt itself out of a market of 1.5B people is the loser.

[Pavulon]

48. And it chokesondick

try searching on it. worthless. 4 hits for earthquake school deaths.

http://news.baidu.com/ns?cl=2&rn=20&tn=news&word=earthquake+school+deaths

[HeresyLives]

50. Nonetheless it now has the biggest market in the world.

[Pavulon]

51. And according to it there are 4 news stories on the deaths from collapsed schools

in the recent quake.

[HeresyLives]

53. Your loss.

Or rather, Googles loss.

[Robb]

52. Baidu made $7 million in 2007.

...Google made $1 billion in the first three months of that year.

Google can afford to tell China to drop dead. Chinese businesses cannot afford to lose the exposure Google offers.

[HeresyLives]

56. Well this is 2010

And while Google makes more worldwide, it's a distant second in China. Which is the only market Baidu serves. it's booming.

China doesn't need Google, Google needs China.

[Robb]

59. Again, propaganda with nothing to back it up.

You must not understand what Google does and how it works.

[HeresyLives]

62. Another one arguing to hear himself talk.

:boring:

[Robb]

64. Baidu Q4 2009 profit: $184.7 million. Google: $6.67 BILLION.

I agree, you must be asleep.

[HeresyLives]

67. Still arguing to hear yourself talk.

It's a cinch you're not paying attention to the topic.

However, if you want to defend imperialism and colonialism it's up to you.

Just be aware that the marines won't be backing Google up on this.

[Pavulon]

72. The dollar peg and plastic dog shit is the only thing floating china

and we can find a new source for muppets to make plastic dog shit and mr coffee machines. They need us, we dont need them.

[HeresyLives]

75. Ahhh fantasies again

Well, you keep telling yourself that, I'm sure it'll help.

[Pavulon]

78. China sells low end trash to walmart

i dont buy trash so not really an issue. Pretty sure there are plenty of other nations willing to provide labor with no restrictions and no environmental protection to industry. You know, the only reason stuff from china is cheap.

[HeresyLives]

80. China sells both low and high end items all over the world.

[Pavulon]

82. The only high end thing marketed in the US from china is art.

nothing manufactured in china in the us is "high end". Art from the dynasties is quite valuable.

[HeresyLives]

85. LOL China is opening its 4th space center.

And the US imports Chinese tech.

[Pavulon]

88. The us put a man on the moon in 69. no chinese flag there.

and there is nothing from china in the systems that monitor their signal intelligence, power military reactors on our subs, guide ICBM's or fire w-88 warheads. Making shitty lenses for nikon is one thing, the best are still made in germany.

They make shit, and steal technology they can not develop in house.

[HeresyLives]

89. Well, see...this is actually 2010.

Times have changed.

Your attitude should keep up.

[Pavulon]

91. That means they had 40 years, no man on the moon.

not even close. They cant even build a quality large body jet or a nuclear sub not ripped off a soviet design. Reality is what it is.

[HeresyLives]

92. I repeat, this is 2010

:boring:

[Pavulon]

94. And china has no parity with the US on any front. NONE

aerospace, they make shit. We make the best. Any military system, they make rip offs of soviet shit, we make the best, bar none. Technology design, the work done at LANL and others is prized by china, they cant afford it, they cant do it, they want it. bad.

They do make an excellent cheap shirt and led flashlights with LED emitters they import from the us..

[HeresyLives]

95. Well, you keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better.

[Pavulon]

96. janes defense. start there.(nt)

[HeresyLives]

97. .

:boring:

[Pavulon]

98. ( (--)------

[HeresyLives]

99. You're going to hurt yourself

thumping on your chest that hard. :rofl:

And I'm sorry, but none of it impresses me, including the bizarre brackets.

Perhaps you should ask yourself why you have so much hatred for others.

It seems to be eating you alive.

China exists. It's not going to go away.

And you'll just have to learn to live with it.

[Pavulon]

105. sigmund fackin freud..thank you (nt)

[Robb]

86. I'm defending imperialism and colonialism?

Proof you haven't read anything I've posted. I'm talking about the economics of the situation. China screwed up, and will be apologizing shortly. Bet on it.

[HeresyLives]

87. Yes, surprising attitude for here, but that's what you're doing.

And China has already had quite enough of that.

Google broke it's contract. Boot.

[Robb]

100. Wow.

You're quite a treat. A welcome addition to DU.

[Regret My New Name]

109. I'm actually enjoying reading this...

:P

[architect359]

129. What? Why on earth would the marines need to back Google on this issue????

[Sabriel]

107. Google's motto is, "Don't be evil."

I'm guessing their presence in China was evil, so....

Unlike most U.S. companies, they'd rather lose money than support a regime like that.

Thanks, Google! It gives me hope for similar corporate structures and ethics.

[HeresyLives]

110. Oh, you mean the 'corporate masters' are okay now?

The shifting sands on here....:rofl:

[GodlessBiker]

16. Good for Google. The requirement that it self-censor its service was ludicrous.

As a Google stockholder myself, this is a wise business decision and an even better moral decision.

[HeresyLives]

17. It's not their country.

If you want to do business in another country, you obey their laws or you're gone.

[GodlessBiker]

18. Yep. And Google is leaving. A great move. Bravo Google.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[pipoman]

26. Why do you defend

denial of such historic realities as the Tienanmen Square protest?

[HeresyLives]

29. How about that Abu Ghraib?

Should everybody stop trading with the US because of it?

[pipoman]

34. It isn't banned to speak of it or read about it..

one is a bad act, the other is a bad act followed by years of denial and punishment for those who dare speak of it...not really a sound comparison.

[HeresyLives]

35. And China isn't the US.

Basic fact of life.

[pipoman]

61. So?

Back to the question I asked originally and you avoided answering, "Why do you defend denial of such historic realities as the Tienanmen Square protest?"

I mean if you think it's OK to deny historical reality and prohibit people from speaking of denied realities, just say so.

[pipoman]

63. Oh, and a better example than Abu Ghrab

might be Kent State, no? Ugly? Yep. Yet no prohibition on speaking of it..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings

[Pavulon]

66. try baidu and Tienanmen square protest

http://www.baidu.com/baidu?tn=baidu&cl=3&word=Tienanmen+Square+protest

like it never happened.

[tammywammy]

23. Good for Google n/t

[musical_soul]

30. Good for google...

for standing up for the values that other companies won't.

The Chinese government is nothing but a group of cowards.

[Festivito]

33. Maybe they should buy CHoogle.com for China.

Use Choogle, it chokes your google results for fearful, effete, ineffectual, insecure, or scared governments.

[HeresyLives]

36. China has it's own Google.

[Pavulon]

37. with free melamine and lead, mmm.

stealing can only take you so far.

[ronnie624]

114. Does the U.S. Google come with free salmonella? n/t

[Robb]

40. ORLY?

:rofl:

[HeresyLives]

42. What's an orly?

[Robb]

44. Perhaps you should Google it.

[HeresyLives]

46. Why bother?

I'm sure it has nothing to do with the topic anyway.

[Pavulon]

47. baidu, it puked on orly. HA

http://news.baidu.com/ns?cl=2&rn=20&tn=news&word=orly

http://www.baidu.com/s?cl=3&wd=orly&fr=ikw1000

[HeresyLives]

49. That's because it's only of concern to you.

It isn't even of concern to me, much less the Chinese.

[Pavulon]

55. 4 english news stories covering collapse of schools in the earthquake.. dali lama top hit..

hmm I think there is concern over that in china. And you support this?

外国网友:奥巴马见达赖是没有任何结果的 中国西藏信息中心 2010-2-23 11:15
And then you have the Dali Lama. The leader of a mediaeval theocracy that kept people in grinding poverty and misery and rickets until they were of the place by the Chinese,who,after a shaky start,brought them peace,wealth & prosperity. ..

[HeresyLives]

57. LOL glad you're giving them hits.

[Pavulon]

58. Like feeding the homeless. (nt)

[HeresyLives]

60. You guys should 'google' Gen Smedley Butler.

Only things have changed from his day, and you can't force a country ..especially China...to do your bidding anymore.

[Pavulon]

65. Sure we can. They will continue to export plastic dog shit

until we find someone who makes it cheaper (vietnam). Who fucking cares what their government does, you have any concerns for the people who live there?

[HeresyLives]

68. You wanna defend colonialism and imperialism,

you go right ahead.

But Google can't go into another country and force the entire country to change itself to suit them.

That doesn't work anymore.

[Pavulon]

70. And china is still safe to murder its citizens in private. You defending the government?

or the people. One makes you a pretty shitty person, the other makes you a concerned person. Which is it?

[HeresyLives]

71. See previous posts on imperialism, colonialism,

and Gen Butler.

Oh, and boredom.

[Pavulon]

73. See post on plastic dog shit, meat puppet labor, and dollar peg(nt)

[HeresyLives]

74. Your problem, not mine.

You also need a new hobby.

Attacking other posters is neither good nor wise.

[Pavulon]

76. No, china's problem. Economy built on above items. (nt)

[HeresyLives]

77. China doesn't have a problem. You do.

[Pavulon]

79. What problem would that be my friend?(nt)

[HeresyLives]

81. Defending imperialism and colonialism.

[Pavulon]

83. Defending murder and oppression.

[HeresyLives]

84. Yes, you're doing that too.

I'm glad that at least you recognize it.

[Pavulon]

90. No school children were smooshed in sub standard schools, say they were, go to jail

you are supporting that? Are you a chinese national, if so, makes sense. I mean support your country. If you are just some kid from canada that makes you pretty strange.

[HeresyLives]

93. .

:boring:

[smiley_glad_hands]

124. You use that smiley when you know your wrong and defeated, lol. eom

[ronnie624]

115. And the U.S. is free to very publicly murder people in other countries.

And you defend that?

I'll take your first choice.

[Pavulon]

118. No one os coming to visit you, cuff you to a fence

and blow your brains out for posting it or pushing it as your lifes work if you so choose. In china the 9 grams of lead model is still at play.

[ronnie624]

119. Absolutely.

As long as it's not me, all is well. People in other countries don't matter.

[Pavulon]

126. No you confused me with some kid from canada pimping chinese communism

and its methods.

[tabasco]

106. But, but, but....

you said it was 2010 upthread!?

:shrug:

[HeresyLives]

111. So....historic references confuse you?

Or is your processor running slow?

[tabasco]

130. No, they apparently confuse you.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4315686#4316047

[superconnected]

103. Good for Google. Microsoft needs to be next. A good friend of mine

who is part of Microsoft Spaces (My space clone that's big in China) told me it upsets her because they have to give search results of Microsoft spaces and directories to the Chinese government, in order to have Spaces available to Chinese citizens. Those results land users in prison if they have porn, and could get the person executed.

[Kablooie]

116. I'll be Microsoft will be pushing Bing (censored) bigtime in China now.

[OhioChick]

123. Good n/t

[Canuckistanian]

125. They should have redirected it to Google Taiwan

That would have REALLY pissed the Chinese government. AND it would be CERTAIN to be blocked - by themselves.

[Xenotime]

131. The guy always pulls out right before he comes.

[melm00se]

133. if you control

the pipes you can control the content (right or wrong it's a basic truth).

Google can choose not to censor but the telco who controls the lines and the routers can just as easily block any "offending" traffic or sites.