Life, the universe and everything about a computer science graduate student
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On Google’s quitting China
Posted on January 14th, 2010 15 commentsMaybe I should say something on this issue since I have done a lot of thinking about Google’s strategy in China since the first time they entered China. I have to make a disclaimer that I am Chinese, and I don’t agree with Google’s self-censorship in the first place.
To make long story short, let me briefly review how the censorship works in China. For every website that offers services in China, a so-called “ISP license” is required. However, the government will revoke your license if it thinks that you are not so “manageable”, and therefore you have to shutdown your website (or they will block you if your servers are abroad). When Google first entered China, Chinese gov didn’t give it a license, and banned the access to Google.com from China since its search result was uncensored. To make the service available to Internet users in China, four years ago, Google started to filter the search results and provided them via Google.cn. Google.cn is a domain name registered in China. Google is just one example among many Internet service providers that do self-censorship.
Every website in China, if their servers are in China, do self-censorship. Otherwise, secret-police will unplug your server cable and put you to jail if necessary. As you can see, by restricting the service provider’s license and setting up the Great Firewall to restrict the access of Internet users, Chinese government literally set up a panopticon so that the prisoners (users and service providers) can watch each other and have to do self-censorship to survive.
However, Chinese government was still not satisfied with what Google had done. They want to have full control of Google. During these years, say, pretty much once every year, Chinese government and the state controlled media would criticize Google for something that “is not legal according to local laws” and would suggest a solution with no surprise: tighter self-censorship. For instance, last year, they tried to flood Google.cn with some obscene keywords so that those keywords would be high frequent enough to enter auto-completion system. Then, they made a TV program showing that when you type in “son”, Google search box would hint you with “son and milf”. On that program, they were criticizing Google for “helping distributing pornography”. In one word, Google has been under a very high pressure doing business in China. Chinese government
always wants Google to be its homeboy, which we obviously know Google’s response: No, simple and straight.I do agree that Google’s market share in China is not good enough, so I don’t think Google will lose any revenue substantially by quitting China’s market. China now is different than 10 years ago. Even it looks very nice from the outside now, it is extremely corrupted inside. Maybe I am making an oversimplified statement, but the truth is that no private business, not a single one, with proper moral standard, can make money in China. The reason is fairly simple: it is a government controlled market instead of a free market.
Essentially, the market is controlled by the government and you have to “pay” for “using” the market. It sounds crazy since according to Adam Smith, nobody can really control market, the hidden hand. But currently, seriously, Chinese government, with a huge visible hand, is able to. Being a country with very high tax rate and secret police everywhere, the government has a much higher controlling power than that we would
normally think of over the domestic market. It can simply kick the player out, or arrest the player, if that player doesn’t obey those so-called rules. Google is one of the victims.As a totalitarian state, it naturally needs some common bonds to control people’s mind. In China, insofar, the best mind weapon is called nationalism. Chinese government, intentionally or unintentionally, make some netizens believe that Baidu is a local company and it is a good kid, while Google is controlled by “westerners” and also is a bad kid.
I am not concerned about Google’s losing money in China. In modern society, some business might be able to earn money in a country without free speech, free market and democracy; some business might be able to earn money under a big government. However, in a country when tyranny is combined with big government, which we usually call totalitarian state, no private-owned company can make any profit if
its moral standard is not compromised. The history in the last half century has provided so many examples.Also, I am very optimistic about the future of Google’s business in China. Again, i
I strongly believe that Google will return to China on the day that China becomes a democratic nation where all citizens enjoy proper human right protection. Then Google will dominate China’s market, since it is really a superior service and there will be fair competitions.15 responses to “On Google’s quitting China”
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tencent will be a hard competitor when Google comes back.
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第2段最后一句话 …one example among make Internet service…中make是不是因该是many的?
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They don’t want to control Google. It’s just a usual blackmailing tactic used by China’s mainstream media.
Theoretically, all mainstream media in China are state-owned. They just call your PR, tell you that they have prepared a full page of negative story of your company, and ask whether you’re interested in increasing your advertisement budget.
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不明真相的群众:)
在天朝是绝对不容许无法掌控的怪物存在的。
从最近针对黄网的专项行动可以看出，源头都在搜索引擎，而这个doodle就是无法掌控的大引擎。
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hlx98007 January 15th, 2010 at 07:25
A little bit too extreme on the opinion on the government. It is bad in many ways but we still can find some good things and good people. Otherwise the great country had been toppled for long time.
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liuchang January 17th, 2010 at 08:55
I’m a student in China. After reading a lot of your stories from your Chinese blog,I get to admire your spirit of study.From this article,I learned a lot.Actually, I don’t agree with your opionion.Maybe it looks like that you are not satisfied with Chinese government,but I can feel your concern about China. I think as a big country, China is not and will not be governmented quite well,but after years(maybe a lot of years that I can’t see the day),China will be much better than today,that is what we and other students work for. As a highly educated PHD, I think you have the ability to make a contribution to your hometown, so ,what do you think about China? desperate, or full of faith?
(从没有用英语交流过，见谅！) -
Laurent87 January 26th, 2010 at 00:34
I like this article!
Hope your good life in US. -
liming January 26th, 2010 at 10:24
‘Welcome!
I am your host, Eric Xu, a Ph.D. student majoring in computer science. I will share my thoughts about computer science, the United States, and my life here, as well as practice my English writing. Also I will let you know that i am a happy and philosophaster-like JY in US now.xD!!!
Disclaimer
…… The reader assumes all responsibility for damages resulting from the reading, including, but not limited to, the damaging to your computer, the transition from Windows to Linux, (the peaceful revolution of THE country and/or the collapse of the tyranny of THE countries)…….
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————————————-Maybe the modified version above is more suitable for u.
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liming January 26th, 2010 at 10:26
‘Welcome!
I am your host, Eric Xu, a Ph.D. student majoring in computer science. I will share my thoughts about computer science, the United States, and my life here, as well as practice my English writing. Also I will let you know that i am a happy and philosophaster-like JY in US now.xD!!!
Disclaimer
…… The reader assumes all responsibility for damages resulting from the reading, including, but not limited to, the damaging to your computer, the transition from Windows to Linux, (the peaceful revolution of THE country and/or the collapse of the tyranny of THE country)…….
————————————-
————————————-Maybe the modified version above is more suitable for u.
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jeffye January 31st, 2010 at 22:52
Absolute power means absolute corruption, which will lead minority of us to evil, majority suffering. The economic grows faster, the happiness of Chinese people becomes less.
No-one is able to change CChina, but horrible criss. -
Liang,Mingo February 11th, 2010 at 02:05
I admit that there are a lot unfair things in China, but for the censorship, I think USA maybe do the same thing, they may censorship something that they think will harm their benefits. Did you forget the CNN and BBC’s bias for Tibet?
Most of the time, we should think what we did for the mainland, not we ask for from the mainland!
whatever you live in, your blood is Chinese, to protect the Chinese reputation is every Chinese’s responsibility. But I want to clear that not for GCD. -
upstair ,,five mao.
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@liming,
Don’t project my thoughts to a certain country.@Liang, Mingo,
I don’t agree with some of your beliefs because I can’t see any evidence to support your argument.
1. USA maybe do the same thing
2. CNN and BBC have bias for [sic] Tibet
3. we should think what we did for the mainland, not we ask for from the mainland!
4. whatever you live in, your blood is Chinese, to protect the Chinese reputation is every Chinese’s responsibility.Also, please distinguish Government and Motherland. An argument without clear concepts won’t go too far
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Mingo May 31st, 2010 at 20:24
haha,
I just to say do you think the contents that I post?
Five mao? Not every person that say something for China is Five mao dang!!!
The important is what do you think about author discuss??Eric,
There are a lot things that I am deeply fight against corruption government officials!! But I think the Party is progressing. And I am living China now.I just hope every Chinese has a objective opinion!!!! To know that every thing has two sides!!!!
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Mingo May 31st, 2010 at 20:27
Eric,
“I can’t see any evidence to support your argument.”Do you say the evidence that:
1. Other country maybe not do the same thing?
2. CNN and BBC have not bias for [sic] Tibet
??
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