In the first official government reaction to Google’s announcement, the State Council Information Office issued a statement reiterating the need for state control over the Internet. It did not mention Google by name. From Reuters:
In a statement posted on the State Council Information Office website, cabinet spokesman Wang Chen warned against pornography, cyber-attacks, online fraud and “rumors,” saying that government and Internet media have a responsibility to shape public opinion.
The statement said China itself was a victim of hacker attacks, and that Beijing resolutely opposed hacking.
Wang’s comments, Beijing’s first official reaction after Google threatened to quit China over cyber-attacks, gave no indication that China — which has the world’s biggest number of Internet users at 360 million — would give ground.
