In a strident show of force, the Government of the People’s Republic of China has ordered Google China to suspend operations that link to non-Chinese websites.
The move follows controversy over Google China linking to foreign pornographic content.
During a law enforcement talk, the Chinese Government said that Google China would be punished with orders to suspend foreign webpage searches and automated keywords.
This represents the biggest blow to Google since the company established operations in China in 2005.
In recent months, the Chinese authorities have been clamping down on websites it considers ‘vulgar’ and which pose dangers to its citizens’ sanity.
While China has clamped down on Google, it has not taken any steps against rival search engine Baidu, which has 59pc market share in the country.
The clampdown by the Chinese could have a detrimental effect on Google’s business in the Far East.
By John Kennedy
