Google’s (GOOG) Possible Exit Does Not Bother Chinese

According to a report by China Business News on Friday, Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) may announce its exit from China as early as Monday. However, the news has not really affected Chinese internet users.

According to a Global Times editorial, online surveys have shown that 80% of the people surveyed said that they do not care if Google leaves China. The country is the world’s largest internet market with almost 400 million users. Although Google has not unveiled any specific plans about its operations in the country, speculation has been growing about its exit. One Chinese internet user wrote on Global Times’ website, “Get the hell out.” Another comment made by a Chinese internet user on the website said, “Ha ha, I'm going to buy firecrackers to celebrate!”

According to Joseph Cheng, a professor of politics at the City University of Hong Kong, the Communist Party in China has stifled the debate about censorship by inciting nationalism among its citizens. Cheng said, “The criticism of cultural exports, or cultural imperialism, is a kind of defense to justify the Chinese authorities' censorship controls. In dealing with the American government, the Chinese authorities will try to emphasize that this is only a commercial dispute and has nothing to do with Sino-American relations.”

This is not the first time the Communist Party has used nationalism as a weapon. In the past, it has tried to stifle issues such as Tibet by inciting Chinese people that the west is trying to influence decision making in the country’s internal matters.