Google shuts site but quitting China proves step too far

Google has effectively closed its flagship search site in China, finally carrying out its threat made two months ago in a dispute over censorship with the Chinese authorities.

The company announced that it had stopped censoring its search results in China and was redirecting all web users of its Google.cn service to its Google.com search site based in Hong Kong.

But the company stopped short of pulling out of China altogether, saying it wanted to keep its research and development staff and sales teams in the country. The compromise reflects the importance to Google of retaining a presence in the world's largest market of nearly 400 million internet users.

For more: Google shuts site but quitting China proves step too far - Times Online