James Delahunty
8 Mar 2010 20:10
The Chinese government has said it is ready and willing to punish hackers in the country that allegedly targeted Google Inc. and other companies earlier this year, if Google can provide evidence against the accused. Vice Minister Miao Wei said that Google has not filed a report to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology over the cyber attacks or sought negotiations with the government.
"If Google has had evidence that the attacks came from China, the Chinese government will welcome them to provide the information and will severely punish the offenders according to the law," Miao said. "We never support hacking attacks because China also falls victim to hacking attacks."
As for Google's threat to leave China following the events and ongoing tensions over mandated censorship, Miao said that the company didn't notify the ministry that it is considering a withdrawal from the country either. "If Google decides to continue its business in China and abides by China's laws, it's welcome to stay," he said.
"If the company chooses to withdraw from the Chinese market, it must go through certain procedures according to the law and regulations and deal with customers' problems that may arise." He went on to vow that China will continue to provide a sound investment environment for foreign investors and protect their legitimate rights.