谷
歌(Google Inc.)宣布停止在华网络搜索和新闻服务审查，这一公然对抗中国政府的冒险而惹人关注的举动势必成为美国企业在华经营历史上关键的一笔。
谷歌周一关闭了中国境内受审查的网络搜索服务，内地用户在使用谷歌搜索、谷歌新闻和谷歌图片服务时将被自动导向未经审查的谷歌香港页面。中国政府会对谷歌停止审查的举措作何反应？谷歌在华业务将走向何方？《新闻中心》栏目组成员在本期节目中对此进行了讨论。
谷歌周一称，公司将把访问Google.cn的大陆用户导向其未经审查的谷歌香港服务。谷歌发言人说公司将继续在中国大陆提供地图和音乐搜索服务，并将保留在中国的销售和研发业务。
切换工作是在北京时间半夜开始的，中国大陆的网民从那时起就可以看到未经审查的网页搜索结果；不过中国政府仍可以撤销Google.cn的经营许可证，并有能力屏蔽或干扰大陆网民登录谷歌设在香港及其他地方的网站。
知情人士说，谷歌高管是在和中国官员举行了多次会议后做出这一决定的，席间公司讨论了自己的计划但未得到北京方面的批准。这一点在周二中国官员所做出的快速而愤怒的反应中得到了清楚体现。
相关报导
该官员对新华社表示，中国坚决反对将商业问题政治化，对谷歌公司的无理指责和做法表示不满和愤慨。
美国白宫周一称尊重谷歌的决定，并对谷歌未能与中国政府达成和解表示失望。谷歌在宣布上述决定前不久向美国国家安全委员会(National Security Council)进行了通报。该委员会发言人汉默(Mike Hammer)称谷歌做此决定是因为它相信这符合自身利益，我们此前曾就此问题向中国政府直接表示了自己的担忧。
华盛顿中国驻美大使馆的官员表示，谷歌声明不会改变中国的投资环境，中国市场对于许多跨国公司而言都是盈利所在。
中国驻美大使馆发言人王保东说，中国坚持开放并将继续欢迎外国公司在法律框架内来华开展业务，中国鼓励互联网发展的政策没有改变，中国根据自身法律法规对互联网进行管理的政策也没有改变。
谷歌正在努力继续在中国大陆的法律范围之外为中国网络用户提供搜索服务，而和它站在同一战线的公司很可能寥寥无几，即便那些已对在华业务越发感到沮丧的公司也不例外。
谷歌似乎是决意单挑中国政府的规定，同时它还要设法摆平它与中国政府间愈显复杂的关系，因为公司还要努力保证政府允许其保留在华的部分其他业务。哈佛法学院(Harvard Law School)互联网问题学者帕尔弗里(John Palfrey)说，如果谷歌的解决办法能够得以实施，那么倒不失为一步高棋，但是我认为中国政府不会放任谷歌这么做。
中国官员称将打击把用户从中国政府批准的".cn"域名转向提供被政府认为是非法内容的网站的行为。近几周，由于谷歌和中国之间的谈判未取得进展，中国工业和信息化部部长李毅中称谷歌公司如果不友好、不负责，后果要由自己负责。中国官员还捍卫了他们对互联网进行监管的权力。
谷歌首席法律顾问多姆德(David Drummond)在周一的博客中写道，公司决定把中国用户重新定向至未经审查的搜索引擎和新闻服务的作法是完全合法的。他还说，谷歌希望中国政府尊重我们的决定，尽管我们充分意识到中国政府可能随时屏蔽我们的服务。
中国的互联网用户开始注意到这一变化。在谷歌香港网站，既有简体中文的搜索引擎链接，也有繁体中文的链接。前者通常主要由中国大陆的网民使用，后者通常在香港使用。可在香港浏览的简体中文服务看起来很象Google.cn，提供的链接包括谷歌只在中国大陆提供的服务，如免费音乐搜索等。
谷歌说其600名在华员工的未来要视事情的最终结果而定。谷歌的发言人说，鉴于所有细节还未最终确定，我们不排除遣散员工的可能性，尽管我们非常希望避免这样做。此外，我们的计划可能会让一些人前往其它地方工作。
谷歌说正在把通过手机接入Google.cn的用户转移到新服务。谷歌最终也将停止把审查后的搜索结果提供给中国的合作伙伴。
谷歌一方面反对互联网审查，另一方面又想在世界网民数量最多的中国建立根据地，它一直为如何调解二者之间的矛盾而苦恼，多年来在中国尝试过一系列的安排，此举是谷歌的最新行动。
据研究公司易观国际(Analysys International)数据显示，截至去年第四季度，谷歌在中国互联网搜索市场的占有率为36%，而百度公司(Baidu Inc.)为58%。
谷歌最初于2000年在中国启动了中文搜索服务，但在美国运营这项业务。由于受到中国审查者的定期屏蔽，网站接入情况不稳定。中国的审查者甚至有时把接入谷歌网站的请求重新定向到中国的搜索网站。
但到2004年，谷歌以500万美元购得中国搜索公司百度2.6%的股份，它对中国的兴趣逐渐增强。后来谷歌以超过十倍的价格出售了这些股份，称将集中力量发展自己的业务，并且说到做到。
2005年，谷歌建立了自己的在华公司，并以四年1,000万美元的高薪聘请前微软公司(Microsoft Corp.)高管李开复运营其中国公司。2006年，谷歌创建了Google.cn，但包括共同创始人布林(Sergey Brin)在内的部分高管对审查搜索结果的作法持保留意见。
谷歌的在华业务规模很小。券商Jefferies的分析师斯考利(Youssef Squali)周一写道，Google.cn仅占谷歌公司净收入的1%至2%。
Jessica E. Vascellaro / Loretta Chao
（更新完成）
Google Inc. stopped censoring its Internet search and news services in China, a risky and dramatic act of defiance that could prove to be a pivotal moment in the history of U.S. companies' efforts to do business in China.
Google's move puts its business in one of the world's most important markets on rocky ground, using a strategy that seeks to preserve the company's principles about information freedom while still keeping a foot in the country.
The company Monday said it was redirecting people who visited its Chinese site, Google.cn, to an uncensored Chinese-language version of its service hosted in Hong Kong. Company officials said Google would continue to host its maps and music search service in China and intends to keep its sales and research operations in China.
The switch began in the middle of the night in Beijing and the unfiltered service became available to people inside China, but authorities can revoke Google's permission to use Google.cn and have the ability to block or interrupt access to sites in Hong Kong and elsewhere.
Google executives reached the decision after meetings with Chinese officials at which the company discussed its plans but Beijing didn't sanction them, said a person familiar with the matter. That became apparent Tuesday as Chinese officials issued a swift and angry response.
Early Tuesday morning in Beijing, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency quoted an unnamed official at the Internet bureau of China's State Council Information Office as saying Google had 'violated its written promise.'
'We're uncompromisingly opposed to the politicization of commercial issues, and express our discontent and indignation to Google for its unreasonable accusations and conducts,' the official told Xinhua.
The White House on Monday said that it respected Google's decision and voiced disappointment that Google and China couldn't agree. Google informed the National Security Council shortly before it announced its decision. 'Google made its decision based on what it believed was in its interest,' said NSC spokesman Michael Hammer. 'We have previously raised our concerns about this issue directly with the Chinese government.'
At the Chinese Embassy in Washington, officials said Google's announcement wouldn't change the investment environment in China, which has been profitable for many multinational companies.
'China is firmly committed to opening up, and continues to welcome foreign companies to come to China to do business within its legal framework,' said embassy spokesman Wang Baodong. 'China's policies of encouraging Internet development will remain unchanged. So will be its policies of managing the Internet according to Chinese laws and regulations.'
Google is trying to continue to offer search services to Chinese users outside the purview of mainland Chinese law, a strategy that few other companies, even those who have expressed growing frustrations with doing business in China, are likely to follow.
Instead, Google appears to be setting itself up to fight China's rules on its own and to manage what is likely to continue to be a complicated relationship with Beijing as it tries to ensure the government allows it to maintain some of its operations in the country. 'This is an elegant solution if it were to hold, but I'm not convinced China will allow this to continue,' said John Palfrey, an Internet scholar at Harvard Law School.
Chinese officials have said they intend to crack down on routing users from government approved '.cn' domains to Web sites that provide content the government deems illegal. In recent weeks, as talks between Google and China failed to progress, Li Yizhong, Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said the company would have to bear the consequences of being 'unfriendly' and 'irresponsible.' Officials have also defended their rights to regulate the Internet.
In a blog post Monday, Google's chief legal officer, David Drummond, said the company's decision to redirect Chinese users to its uncensored Web search and news services is 'entirely legal.' He added that Google was hopeful 'that the Chinese government respects our decision, though we are well aware that it could at any time block access to our services.'
Internet users in China began noticing the changes. Within the Hong Kong site, there were links to Google's search engine in simplified Chinese, most commonly used by mainland Chinese Internet users, as well as links in traditional Chinese, which is commonly used in Hong Kong. The simplified-Chinese service viewable in Hong Kong looked much like Google.cn, with links to products Google only offers in the mainland, such as its free music search service.
Google said the future of its 600 employees in China depends on how things play out. 'Given that we have not yet worked out all the details, we cannot rule out letting people go, though we very much want to avoid that,' said a Google spokesman. 'In addition, our plans may require some people to relocate.'
Google said it was in the processing of migrating users who access Google.cn from their mobile phones to the new service. It will eventually stop syndicating censored search results to partners in China as well.
The move is the latest in a series of arrangements Google has tried in China over the years as it has agonized over how to reconcile its corporate opposition to Internet censorship with the desire to establish a beachhead in China, home to more Internet users than any other country.
As of the fourth quarter, Google had 36% of the Internet search market in China compared with Baidu Inc.'s 58%, according to research firm Analysys International.
Google first started a Chinese-language search service in 2000, but operated it from the U.S. so access to the Web site was vulnerable to periodic blocks by Chinese censors, who at times even redirected requests for Google to Chinese search sites.
But Google's interest in China grew by 2004, when it bought a 2.6% stake in Chinese search company Baidu for $5 million. Google later sold its stake for more than ten times the amount, citing its desires to focus on its own business, and it did.
In 2005 Google established its own operations in China and hired Kai-Fu Lee, a former Microsoft Corp. official, to run it for a hefty price tag of $10 million over four years. It opened Google.cn in 2006, though some executives, including co-founder Sergey Brin, had reservations about censoring the results.
Google's business in China remains small. Youssef Squali, an analyst at Jefferies, wrote Monday that Google.cn accounted for just 1% to 2% of the company's net revenue.
Jessica E. Vascellaro / Loretta Chao
Google's move puts its business in one of the world's most important markets on rocky ground, using a strategy that seeks to preserve the company's principles about information freedom while still keeping a foot in the country.
The company Monday said it was redirecting people who visited its Chinese site, Google.cn, to an uncensored Chinese-language version of its service hosted in Hong Kong. Company officials said Google would continue to host its maps and music search service in China and intends to keep its sales and research operations in China.
The switch began in the middle of the night in Beijing and the unfiltered service became available to people inside China, but authorities can revoke Google's permission to use Google.cn and have the ability to block or interrupt access to sites in Hong Kong and elsewhere.
Google executives reached the decision after meetings with Chinese officials at which the company discussed its plans but Beijing didn't sanction them, said a person familiar with the matter. That became apparent Tuesday as Chinese officials issued a swift and angry response.
Early Tuesday morning in Beijing, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency quoted an unnamed official at the Internet bureau of China's State Council Information Office as saying Google had 'violated its written promise.'
'We're uncompromisingly opposed to the politicization of commercial issues, and express our discontent and indignation to Google for its unreasonable accusations and conducts,' the official told Xinhua.
The White House on Monday said that it respected Google's decision and voiced disappointment that Google and China couldn't agree. Google informed the National Security Council shortly before it announced its decision. 'Google made its decision based on what it believed was in its interest,' said NSC spokesman Michael Hammer. 'We have previously raised our concerns about this issue directly with the Chinese government.'
At the Chinese Embassy in Washington, officials said Google's announcement wouldn't change the investment environment in China, which has been profitable for many multinational companies.
'China is firmly committed to opening up, and continues to welcome foreign companies to come to China to do business within its legal framework,' said embassy spokesman Wang Baodong. 'China's policies of encouraging Internet development will remain unchanged. So will be its policies of managing the Internet according to Chinese laws and regulations.'
Google is trying to continue to offer search services to Chinese users outside the purview of mainland Chinese law, a strategy that few other companies, even those who have expressed growing frustrations with doing business in China, are likely to follow.
Instead, Google appears to be setting itself up to fight China's rules on its own and to manage what is likely to continue to be a complicated relationship with Beijing as it tries to ensure the government allows it to maintain some of its operations in the country. 'This is an elegant solution if it were to hold, but I'm not convinced China will allow this to continue,' said John Palfrey, an Internet scholar at Harvard Law School.
Chinese officials have said they intend to crack down on routing users from government approved '.cn' domains to Web sites that provide content the government deems illegal. In recent weeks, as talks between Google and China failed to progress, Li Yizhong, Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said the company would have to bear the consequences of being 'unfriendly' and 'irresponsible.' Officials have also defended their rights to regulate the Internet.
In a blog post Monday, Google's chief legal officer, David Drummond, said the company's decision to redirect Chinese users to its uncensored Web search and news services is 'entirely legal.' He added that Google was hopeful 'that the Chinese government respects our decision, though we are well aware that it could at any time block access to our services.'
Internet users in China began noticing the changes. Within the Hong Kong site, there were links to Google's search engine in simplified Chinese, most commonly used by mainland Chinese Internet users, as well as links in traditional Chinese, which is commonly used in Hong Kong. The simplified-Chinese service viewable in Hong Kong looked much like Google.cn, with links to products Google only offers in the mainland, such as its free music search service.
Google said the future of its 600 employees in China depends on how things play out. 'Given that we have not yet worked out all the details, we cannot rule out letting people go, though we very much want to avoid that,' said a Google spokesman. 'In addition, our plans may require some people to relocate.'
Google said it was in the processing of migrating users who access Google.cn from their mobile phones to the new service. It will eventually stop syndicating censored search results to partners in China as well.
The move is the latest in a series of arrangements Google has tried in China over the years as it has agonized over how to reconcile its corporate opposition to Internet censorship with the desire to establish a beachhead in China, home to more Internet users than any other country.
As of the fourth quarter, Google had 36% of the Internet search market in China compared with Baidu Inc.'s 58%, according to research firm Analysys International.
Google first started a Chinese-language search service in 2000, but operated it from the U.S. so access to the Web site was vulnerable to periodic blocks by Chinese censors, who at times even redirected requests for Google to Chinese search sites.
But Google's interest in China grew by 2004, when it bought a 2.6% stake in Chinese search company Baidu for $5 million. Google later sold its stake for more than ten times the amount, citing its desires to focus on its own business, and it did.
In 2005 Google established its own operations in China and hired Kai-Fu Lee, a former Microsoft Corp. official, to run it for a hefty price tag of $10 million over four years. It opened Google.cn in 2006, though some executives, including co-founder Sergey Brin, had reservations about censoring the results.
Google's business in China remains small. Youssef Squali, an analyst at Jefferies, wrote Monday that Google.cn accounted for just 1% to 2% of the company's net revenue.
Jessica E. Vascellaro / Loretta Chao
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