Google has decided to close its Internet search service based in inland China over censorship concerns and will direct Chinese users to a Hong Kong-based uncensored version of its search engine, the company has said in blog post.
The move comes just over two months after Google threatened to leave China due to censorship and cyber attacks, something that the Chinese authorities have denied.
"We want as many people in the world as possible to have access to our services, including users in mainland China, yet the Chinese government has been crystal clear throughout our discussions that self-censorship is a non-negotiable legal requirement," Google's chief legal officer, David Drummond, wrote in the blog post.
"We very much hope that the Chinese government respects our decision," he wrote, "though we are well aware that it could at any time block access to our services."
Beijing condemned on Tuesday Google's decision.
"We oppose vigorously the politicization of commercial issues and express our displeasure and indignation with Google's groundless actions," state-run news agency Xinhua quoted a representative of China's State Information Council as saying.
Google said in its blog post it would retain much of its existing operations in China, including its research and development team and its local sales force. The size of the sales team in China "will obviously be partially dependent on the ability of mainland Chinese users to access Google.com.hk.", it said.
Xinhua said in its editorial "whether it [Google] leaves or not, the Chinese government will keep its Internet regulation principles unchanged."
"One company's ambition to change China's Internet rules and legal system will only prove to be ridiculous," the agency said.
MOSCOW, March 23 (RIA Novosti)
