谷
歌(Google Inc.)周一称，该公司已关闭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(Google Search)、谷歌新闻(Google News)和谷歌图片(Google Images)服务时将被自动导向未经审查的谷歌香港页面。谷歌发言人说公司不会撤出中国，将继续为中国的互联网用户提供未经审查的谷歌地图(Google Maps)等服务。该发言人称，谷歌将保留在中国的销售和研发业务。
不过，即便谷歌自称已为其与中国政府在网络审查问题上的争执找到了合法且切合实际的解决途径，但一些观察人士对中国政府能否容忍谷歌此举表示怀疑。
此次谷歌也是在公司博客中发布了这一消息，公司称之所以做此决定，是因为中国政府已在双方磋商中明确表示网络审查是一个不容讨论的法律要求。
公告称谷歌相信这是个“切合实际的决定”，但也表示公司很清楚该决定可能在任何时候致使用户无法接入其服务。
一位谷歌高管拒绝就中国政府是否已批准这一决定发表评论。
哈佛法学院(Harvard Law School)互联网问题学者约翰•帕尔弗里(John Palfrey)说，如果这个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。
帕尔弗里说，我认为中国政府被谷歌惹恼后可能做的第一件事就是阻止谷歌香港网站的接入。
研究公司Broadpoint Amtech的分析师本•斯盖切特(Ben Schachter)在一份研究报告中指出，他相信中国政府将阻止谷歌香港网站的接入，至少会像Google.com过去被强制屏蔽那样，而且日后Google.com.hk和所有谷歌网站的接入都有可能受到更猛烈的屏蔽。
谷歌还说现在谈论谷歌600名中国雇员的去向以及谁会被改派的问题还为时过早。
谷歌在1月份表示自己受到了疑为来自中国的网络袭击，将停止在华网络审查；该声明令谷歌中国搜索引擎业务的命运在随后两个月时间里一直充满变数。
谷歌当时还表示公司对中国限制言论自由的做法越发感到担心。
谷歌这一决定有可能为中国本土网络搜索引擎公司百度(Baidu Inc.)带来有力推动。目前中国是全球最大而且增长最快的互联网市场。
由于已有若干中国官员明确表示希望谷歌遵守中国法律，之前人们就认为谷歌关闭Google.cn的可能性越来越大。中国工业和信息化部部长李毅中曾表示，如果谷歌违反中方规定，那么就必须承担后果。
谷歌发言人称公司将搜索服务导向香港的做法符合一切法律的规定。
北京研究公司易观国际(Analysys International)提供的数据显示，以收入衡量，谷歌在中国网络搜索市场所占份额约为36%，不及百度的58%。
Jessica Vascellaro / Scott Morrison
（更新完成）
Google Inc. (GOOG) Monday said it shut down its censored Web-search services in China, routing users to uncensored versions of Google Search, Google News and Google Images hosted in Hong Kong.
A Google spokesman said the company isn't pulling out of China and will continue to operate uncensored services, such as Google Maps, for Chinese Internet users. Google will keep its sales and research development operations in China, the spokesman said.
But even as Google claimed to have found a legal and 'sensible' solution to its censorship dispute with China, several observers questioned whether Chinese authorities would abide by the company's move.
(This story and related background material will be available on The Wall Street Journal Web site, WSJ.com.)
Google also announced the news in a blog post, in which it said it made the move after the 'Chinese government has been crystal clear throughout our discussions that self-censorship is a non-negotiable legal requirement.'
The post said Google believes the move is a 'sensible decision,' but said Google is 'well aware that it could at any time block access to our services.'
A Google official declined to comment on whether Chinese authorities had sanctioned the move.
'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.
'The first thing that the Chinese government could do when it is angered by Google is to block traffic to that Hong Kong site,' he said.
Broadpoint Amtech analyst Ben Schachter said in a note that he believed Beijing will block Google's Hong Kong site 'at least as forcefully as Google.com itself has been blocked historically, and there is a chance that blocks will be more aggressive for Google.com.hk and all Google sites in the future.'
Google also said it was 'too early to tell' what will happen to Google's 600 employees in China, who may be reassigned.
The move comes after months of uncertainty over the fate of Google's Chinese search engine, which has been in jeopardy since January, when the company said it would stop censoring its search results after it was hit by a cyber-attack it traced to China.
Google also said at the time that it was increasingly troubled by China's attempts to limit free speech.
Google's decision could be a big boost to local rival Baidu Inc. (BIDU) in the world's largest and fastest-growing Internet market.
Google's decision to shutter Google.cn, had been seen as increasingly likely after a series of Chinese officials made it clear they expected Google to follow the laws of China. Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Yizhong recently said Google would 'have to bear the consequences' if it violates China's rules.
A Google spokeswoman said the company's decision to reroute search traffic through Hong Kong abided by all laws.
Google has about 36% of China's search revenue, putting it second to Baidu at 58%, according to Analysys International, a Beijing-based research firm.
Jessica Vascellaro / Scott Morrison
A Google spokesman said the company isn't pulling out of China and will continue to operate uncensored services, such as Google Maps, for Chinese Internet users. Google will keep its sales and research development operations in China, the spokesman said.
But even as Google claimed to have found a legal and 'sensible' solution to its censorship dispute with China, several observers questioned whether Chinese authorities would abide by the company's move.
(This story and related background material will be available on The Wall Street Journal Web site, WSJ.com.)
Google also announced the news in a blog post, in which it said it made the move after the 'Chinese government has been crystal clear throughout our discussions that self-censorship is a non-negotiable legal requirement.'
The post said Google believes the move is a 'sensible decision,' but said Google is 'well aware that it could at any time block access to our services.'
A Google official declined to comment on whether Chinese authorities had sanctioned the move.
'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.
'The first thing that the Chinese government could do when it is angered by Google is to block traffic to that Hong Kong site,' he said.
Broadpoint Amtech analyst Ben Schachter said in a note that he believed Beijing will block Google's Hong Kong site 'at least as forcefully as Google.com itself has been blocked historically, and there is a chance that blocks will be more aggressive for Google.com.hk and all Google sites in the future.'
Google also said it was 'too early to tell' what will happen to Google's 600 employees in China, who may be reassigned.
The move comes after months of uncertainty over the fate of Google's Chinese search engine, which has been in jeopardy since January, when the company said it would stop censoring its search results after it was hit by a cyber-attack it traced to China.
Google also said at the time that it was increasingly troubled by China's attempts to limit free speech.
Google's decision could be a big boost to local rival Baidu Inc. (BIDU) in the world's largest and fastest-growing Internet market.
Google's decision to shutter Google.cn, had been seen as increasingly likely after a series of Chinese officials made it clear they expected Google to follow the laws of China. Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Yizhong recently said Google would 'have to bear the consequences' if it violates China's rules.
A Google spokeswoman said the company's decision to reroute search traffic through Hong Kong abided by all laws.
Google has about 36% of China's search revenue, putting it second to Baidu at 58%, according to Analysys International, a Beijing-based research firm.
Jessica Vascellaro / Scott Morrison
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