03/24/10
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Google attempts to circumvent Great Firewall of China
A last-minute deal will keep search giant Google from shutting down its Chinese operations entirely, but the way the company handles web queries from Chinese internet users will change dramatically, according to the Associated Press.
The press agency reports that “Google plans to keep its engineering and sales offices in China so it can keep a technological toehold in the country and continue to sell ads for the Chinese-language version of its search engine in the U.S.” However, the company will route search traffic through servers outside of Chinese territory.
The AP story characterizes Google's move as “an attempt to balance its stance against censorship with its desire to profit from an explosively growing internet market.” The company has been in discussions with the Chinese government for weeks, and the discussions had reportedly stalled in recent days.
Experts say, though, that it remains to be seen how successful Google can be in China, having earned the wrath of the country's powerful government. The dispute began in January, with Google indirectly accusing China of complicity in a hacking attack on its servers.
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