After Google’s bombshell announcement of its possible pull out from China, besides hectically backing-up documents stored on Google doc, Chinese internet users have been voicing lament, anger at the authorities as well as extensive applause for Google. In Shanghai, people are organizing a tribute to Google by bringing flowers to their office. Over the past 3 years, Google’s services such as search, Gmail and Google doc have become a popular and highly efficient way of communication among the urban elites in China. Just to give you a personal example, both of my workplaces are highly reliant on these services.
In my humble observation, this might pan out to be an crucial event that could shape China’s history by awakening its young, fledgling civil society. It is fair to say that Google’s users in China are the most cosmopolitan and enlightened people in the country.
- The majority of them are in their 20′s to 30′s, grew up in relative stability and now enjoying the opportunities and wealth that the new resurgent China has brought them.
- Many have gone abroad to study or have had a fair amount of international exposure. I, and many many of my colleagues and friends belong to this bunch.
- We want to believe that our government would one day realize its strategies have to change in the 21st century even when it has repeatedly made authoritarian and outdated decisions with regards to the web and many other issues. We might even have fervently defended our government when it is criticized or ‘attacked’.
- Many of us are ambivalent at best about issues like free/speech, human/rights and censorship, because we don’t know going against the establishment would be the best way to bring about change in China. And frankly, many of us are disengaged from politics because we don’t have the courage to pay the price.
- Many of us are not activists of any cause.
But today, a company who has brought us a fresh way of thinking and outstanding services is forced to pull out from China. Unlike, to be honest, the detachment and ‘how we go again’ sentiment we feel when people are shouting ‘free XXX’, we actually feel a personal stake in it. It has hit us harder than any prior incidents which have also exposed the deficiencies and backward thinking of a country which doesn’t need to behave this way. Google is on the right side of history. I am bringing flowers to them.
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January 14, 2010 2:20 pm
I am an American who heard about this and went to Google.cn to hear the Chinese perspective and found this, which was a very enlightening post; I will share it with friends. Thanks very much! (And look at that…Google just allowed citizens of two distant nations to virtually shake hands!)
January 14, 2010 4:24 pm
Hi
Your analyse is really well written and full of wisdom
, this globally what all my chinese friends told to me when we’ve discussed about it, most of them are using google when they want to find sensible information (even if few do). For example a friend of mine show me an article on 开心网 which the difference of proposition made by both google and baidu when you start your search by 共产党， it really relevant of the possibility bringing by google, and the sudden change in the result for search like “tien an men” yesterday (I speak in french time 
) has really made conscious those of my friends who were a bit sceptic when we used to chat about censorship on google (some told me i was exaggerating, you know I’m a 洋鬼子)
anyway I’m really curious to see what will happen on every side, chinese gvt, chinese population and so
wait and see
(sorry for my english :$ )
Allan
January 14, 2010 4:40 pm
It will be interesting to see how this develops and if it’ll be a turning point in the Chinese government’s approach to the internet or not.
January 14, 2010 6:15 pm
Personally I use Hotmail, Skydrive, and Bing. Mainly because if you read Google’s fine prints, all of the content that you have stored in their repository BELONGS to Google. That’s more scary than anything.
January 14, 2010 10:58 pm
Dated 12/8/09, this is from a post on a Google forum, although I can’t vouch for it’s veracity.
If even most of that is true, one has to ask: what will really be missed? If users in China can only access their full range of services by circumventing firewalls, it just illustrates the implied point that they are operating in China under a handicap.
It will be an interesting next few weeks, finding out what “the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all” will mean.
January 15, 2010 10:55 am
Thanks for a strong and touching article, Jenny.
The ancient Roman emperors used to govern by giving the common people “Bread and Cirｃｕｓｅs.” Here, it’s “Rice and KTV,” but the principle is the same.
I hope there are plenty more engaged, sincere people like yourself.
January 15, 2010 2:32 pm
I believe we have a quite complex situation here. From what I read in the news it appears that Google might have other reasons besides the heroic defense of human rights to consider withdrawal. It is probably related to their poor earning situation in China. With this, they either loose access to the Chinese market, or they will see a significant boost in their market share.
Now that’s about Google’s internal considerations. But in any case their actions have triggered something very important, activities by the Chinese themselves. I am a firm believer that if there was to be brought more democracy to China, it can only be achieved by the local people. Such things can never be pushed in from outside, in fact I believe that the usual demands for more human rights by western politicians are not only half-hearted, but totally useless. What is more effective is broad international media coverage, as we see now.
From an outside perspective, it appears as if the steep economic growth and increase in wealth during the last 20 years has led to an overall high level of satisfaction with the current system, even pride, and that there is not much appetite even among younger Chinese to discuss or deal with issues like pluralistic society, freedom of media, elections with parties that present distinctly different concepts etc.
So it is interesting and certainly encouraging to see that the Google incident made some people bring flowers and demonstrate their support in a certain way. The question is, what will happen next. I’m afraid it’s going to be a long journey, but eventually things will move.
January 16, 2010 1:10 pm
Really good post.
January 18, 2010 3:14 am
It seems that Google is doing something that Americans have historically done well… activating a conflict between two parties and watching tensions boil over.
Many/most Chinese people, as explained in the message to which I am responding are passive in terms of challenging the government because of the stress involved. This, in Chinese culture is understandable.
The Chinese government is not going to demolish its face and adjust policy. This also, in Chinese culture, is understandable.
Google is now contributing to international conflict… in the end, hopefully the Chinese public will not be too adversely affected.
January 21, 2010 3:24 am
Let’s all hope that this ends up with a positive result. I am hopeful.
January 26, 2010 11:53 am
Your article is very encouraging, Jenny. It’s nice to have some insight into the minds of younger Chinese.
February 5, 2010 12:55 am
Yes, let us hope that everything ends up with a positive result.
I am very hopeful, especially because of those who voice their concerns. Only through open dialogue can we hope to learn and make the world a better place.
China is growing by leaps and bounds. I just read a story about how real estate may be an area of concern.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/35056774
Over 6 months ago, this site discussed similiar concerns voiced by Andy Hie on July 23.
jennyzhu.com is a very forward looking source of information and I will add it to my list of “must read” sites!
February 18, 2010 1:21 pm
Likewise. I truly admire Google executives’ courage to do such. Hopefully, it will bring forth sizable changes into China. It’s a good initiative to encourage more free thinkers and more of those who look beyond what’s outside the box.
February 18, 2010 2:16 pm
Hi, I was wondering why my previous post was removed.
March 12, 2010 9:59 pm
I wouldn’t necessarily assume that Google’s stance with China is little more than a business decision in a market that isn’t profitable right now and, looking forward will likely cause more problems than profits. Google took a lot of flack when they agreed to the censorship and privacy concerns of the Chinese government as it went directly against the corporate motto of “Do no evil”. Their “about-face” is probably a slight recall of their company’s supposed-values but is much more about $ and RMB. See this article for more.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/13/google.china.analysis/index.html
March 23, 2010 11:59 am
Great post Jenny!
I am also on Google side. It might hurt Chinese internet users on the short term (blocking of google.com and other google services to be expected) but at least someone stand up in front of the Chinese government and raise the issue of censorship.
People have now to talk about it and take position.
Hopefully this is the first step for a slow but positive change (for Chinese government or for international companies who compromise their values over business)
btw, google close yesterday google.cn
read this http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/technology/23google.html?ref=technology
April 8, 2010 3:40 am
I’m sorry why is that list specific to “google readers…the most cosmopolitan and enlightened people in the country” as opposed to just regular internet users?
I think actually think google was pretty disingenuous in this pullout. Most business people/analysts in Canada think google pullout because it wasn’t going to dominate enough marketshare to make staying in china long term profitable and because grabbed the moral highground at the price of burning its bridges in China.
May 5, 2010 7:25 am
As an American, I frequently feel embarrassed that my country decides it knows best how everyone’s government should function. I think it’s worse when big business steps in and does the same. If a father decides to discipline his son, that’s one thing; if a father decides to discipline someone else’s son, is the issue really whether or not he’s right, or is it whether or not he has the right?