I am not quite sure what motivated Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google, when he stated "We love what China is doing as a country and its growth." This statement seems contrary to Googles stance on China a few days earlier when Google threatened to leave.
Additionally, Schmidt made mention that Google would like to stay in China, only a few days after the company's stock to a hit.
In class, we discussed if Googles statement to leave China was politically or economically motivated. After reading an update on Bloomberg entitled, "Schmidt Says Google Aims to Put Pressure on China," I have come to the conclusion that Googles statements were at first Politically motivated but have since been driven by economics.
Google quickly changed their tune in regards to their future presence in China once they saw the economic implications of their statements on their stock price. However, Google is still saying that it is looking for ways to help alleviate some of the harsh censorship laws in China.
It is going to be difficult task for Google to continue operating in China while also trying to become an agent of change. Hopefully their political presence will not hinder their ability to attract more users to the site and avoid increased censorship from the Chinese government.
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