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There’s No Business Like…
Google's ultimatum that they'll leave China rather than continue to censor their search engine is an interesting case, and one in which I feel we haven't been told the full story. Let's be honest, not many corporations have qualms about doing business in China from a moral standpoint. The global recession has seen to that. Why Google would throw down the gauntlet in this way baffles my business sense—though there was a brou-ha-ha when they set up within the Great Firewall, it soon died down and people went back to pirating images and searching for porn with as much ease as before. We love Google—it makes our work so much easier, why not just turn a blind eye to their toadying to the Chinese government? Yahoo reported human rights activists to the Chinese government, Microsoft happily censored MSN.com, and MySpace ditched politics and religion discussion groups when they set up in China. Ethics are ethics, but a Chinese cash cow is a Chinese cash cow.
Featured Post
Obama’s town hall in Shanghai pleased me greatly. His silver tongue was on full display in appeasing the Chinese with conciliatory praise and refined humility. Humility, a word I would rarely associate with American politicians, is an extremely important in Asian cultures. He was not forceful, he was not arrogant, and he was the first to point out America’s hypocrisies. I think that this was something the Chinese wanted and needed to hear from an American leader.
Asides
- Green energy's uncertain future in China. #
- I guess all those computer science classes paid off. #
- Welcome to... the kimchi taco truck? #
- The death of the small independent Chinese firm and what it means for the way Chinese do business. #
- The New Yorker on the first week, second week, and the Chinese reaction to the Olympics. #
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The Hypermodern is a non-profit blog based in Beijing that reports on China, America, and expat life.
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