Google defiant in threat to pull out of China over censorship

GOOGLE’S threat to pull out of China over censorship is a rare display of defiance in a system where foreign companies have long accepted intrusive controls to gain access to a huge and growing market.

Dismayed by the prospect of a China without Google, visitors left flowers at its Beijing headquarters yesterday as websites buzzed with words of support and appeals to stay.

“I felt it’s a pity and hope it will not withdraw from the Chinese market,” said a man who left flowers at the building in the hi-tech Haidian district and would give only his surname, Chang. “Google played a key role in the growth of our generation. The control (of the internet) is excessive.”