Forbidden City

US-China rift over Google reflects fractious ties

  • Published 14 Jan 2010

Google's defiance of Beijing has the potential to put ties with the US into the deep freeze.

Even as trade volumes between the US and China rebound, the wider diplomatic and commercial relationship appears set for a period of severe stress. A decision announced by Google.com on Tuesday that it will no longer censor search results on its Google.cn site in China represents an act of keen defiance towards Beijing – and it will be seen as such. The immediate support for Google's position given by Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, elevated the issue from a commercial spat into full-blown political row.