Google has stopped censoring search results on its Chinese site Google.cn. Users visiting Google.cn are redirected to Google.com.hk, where the company offers uncensored search in simplified Chinese, specifically designed for users in mainland China and delivered via servers in Hong Kong. Google said the switch to Hong Kong is a "sensible solution" to avoiding the Chinese government's censorship requirements, and "entirely legal". The company warned that the Chinese government still could block its services at any time, and Google created a new website where it will post daily updates on which of its services are available in China. Google said it plans to maintain R&D and sales staff in China, as well as its maps and music services there. Google co-founder Sergey Brin said the company was not given a clear stamp of approval by Beijing, although there was a "back and forth" with the Chinese government on what to do. "There was a sense that Hong Kong was the right step," he told the New York Times, while adding "There's a lot of lack of clarity." Official comments on the state news agency Xinhua suggested the government is still opposed to the company's actions. Xinhua quoted an unnamed official at the internet bureau of China's State Council Information Office as saying Google had "violated its written promise". The government is "uncompromisingly opposed to the politicization of commercial issues, and express our discontent and indignation to Google for its unreasonable accusations and conducts," the official told Xinhua. The US government said it was "disappointed" that Google could not reach a compromise with the Chinese government to allow the company to continue to operate its search services on the Google.cn site.
