Google exits China, redirects traffic to Hong Kong

After weeks of unfruitful negotiations with Chinese authorities, Google has stopped censoring results on its Chinese search engine. Starting today, visitors of the Internet giant's Chinese website are redirected to the Google's Hong Kong site, which offers Chinese-language service with uncensored results.

Google announced in January that it had traced a sophisticated cyber-attack to China, and as a result would no longer filter results in its Chinese search service. Google acknowledged that the move could result in having to withdraw from direct competition in China, where Internet search sites are required to censor politically sensitive topics.

Since then, Google has sought to engage with Chinese authorities over how it could operate in the country without filtering results. Theoretically, China-based users could continue to connect to sites such as google.com or google.com.hk following the company's shuttering of google.cn, though their access could become unreliable.

A Chinese government official in charge of the Internet bureau under the State Council Information Office responds to Google, accusing the search engine has "violated its written promise" and is "totally wrong" by stopping censoring its Chinese search results and blaming the Chinese government for alleged hacker attacks:

"Google has violated its written promise it made when entering the Chinese market by stopping filtering its searching service and blaming China in insinuation for alleged hacker attacks," said the official.

"This is totally wrong. 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 said.