海角大神

Clinton bluntly condemns China on Internet censorship

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered blunt condemnation of strict Internet censorship in China and pledged to help Chinese citizens jump the 'Great Fire Wall.'

Hillary Clinton鈥檚 fierce condemnation of Internet censorship in a Thursday, and her strong support for Google in its clash with Beijing, puts Washington on a collision course with China on a key issue of principle.

鈥淭he language of her speech amounts to a political showdown,鈥� says Shi Yinhong, an influential expert on US-China relations at Beijing鈥檚 Renmin University. 鈥淭his is what the Chinese government had hoped for least.鈥�

The secretary of State鈥檚 blunt condemnation of China鈥檚 strict Internet censorship 鈥� a central plank in the government鈥檚 information policy - is likely to put new strains on Washington鈥檚 relationship with Beijing, in which the Obama administration has placed high hopes.

鈥淭his will give a lot of support to hard-liners in the government who see the US as adopting a more assertive posture in trying to direct China鈥檚 future,鈥� says Russell Leigh Moses, a Beijing-based political analyst. 鈥淢rs. Clinton was trying to give succor to liberal-minded elements in society here, but it is not going to play well鈥� with the authorities.

Clinton: Chinese risk 'walling themselves off'

Clinton threw down a direct challenge to Beijing鈥檚 censors, pledging to help citizens here jump the 鈥淕reat Fire Wall鈥� that blocks access to tens of thousands of websites. She announced that Washington would go on 鈥渟upporting the development of new tools that enable citizens to exercise their right of free expression by circumventing politically motivated censorship,鈥� and 鈥渕ake sure that those tools get to the people who need them.鈥�

She also warned China鈥檚 rulers that their censorship risked 鈥渨alling themselves off from the progress of the next century.鈥�

Though such talk 鈥渨ill not go down well鈥� with the government, says Kaiser Kuo, a writer on Internet affairs and US-China relations, Clinton鈥檚 call on US companies to resist censorship 鈥渨ill resonate positively among Chinese netizens.鈥�

In a 2008 survey by WorldPublicOpinion.org, an international polling firm, 66 percent of Chinese respondents said they 鈥渟hould have the right to read whatever is on the Internet.鈥�

Clinton鈥檚 speech, however, 鈥渨on鈥檛 change people鈥檚 minds,鈥� Mr. Kuo predicted. As Chinese netizens watched her speech 鈥� webcast live and linked to several Chinese blogs 鈥� many of them crowded onto chat rooms to offer divided opinions. 鈥淭here will always be those who chafe against censorship and those who defend the regime,鈥� says Kuo.

Meanwhile, the secretary of State鈥檚 bid to rally US business behind her Internet freedom crusade will pose awkward problems for Beijing.

鈥淐hinese officials have managed for many years to distinguish between American companies and American policies,鈥� says Moses. 鈥淭he new line from the United States suggests that this is going to be tougher now.鈥�

Blurring lines between commerce and foreign policy?

The Chinese government has sought to cast Google鈥檚 threat to withdraw from China unless it can provide uncensored search results as primarily a commercial dispute.

Earlier Thursday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei had sought to depoliticize the conflict, insisting that Google should resolve its problems through legal channels, and that 鈥減eople should not over-interpret [the incident] and say there is a problem between the Chinese and American governments.鈥�

In her speech, however, Clinton blurred the line between commerce and foreign policy, saying she hoped that 鈥渞efusal to support politically motivated censorship will become a trademark characteristic of American technology companies. It should be part of our nation鈥檚 brand.鈥�

Clinton said she was inviting US companies providing network services to a high level meeting next month 鈥渇or talks on internet freedom. We hope to work together to address this challenge.鈥�

It is unclear how many US firms, anxious to do business in a market as large as China鈥檚, are likely to follow Google鈥檚 lead. Though Yahoo said last week it was 鈥渁ligned鈥� with its rival, that drew a strong protest from Yahoo鈥檚 partner in China, AliBaba. Microsoft has shown no signs of publicly criticizing the Chinese government.

Clinton鈥檚 strong stand is likely to please human rights groups who have complained that the Obama administration has been too soft on China鈥檚 rights violations.

Last February, on her first visit to China as secretary of State, she said that 鈥減ressing on those issues,鈥� such human rights, 鈥渃an鈥檛 interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis, and the security crises. We have to have a dialogue that leads to an understanding and cooperation on each of those.鈥�

On Thursday, she baldly accused China, along with other nations, of violating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and said Washington would address its differences with Beijing over Internet freedom 鈥渃andidly and consistently.鈥�

鈥淲e cannot stand by while people are separated from our human family by walls of censorship,鈥� she declared. 鈥淎nd we cannot be silent about these issues simply because we cannot hear their cries.鈥�