The attack, Google said in a blog post, originated from Jinan, China, and was pointed at, among others, Chinese political activists and senior U.S. government officials. The Chinese government was quick to deny involvement in the attack, claiming that "allegations that the Chinese government supports hacking activities are completely unfounded and made with ulterior motives."
Now, People’s Daily took it a notch further, warning Google that such political games could ultimately hurt its business. “Google should not become overly embroiled in international political struggle, playing the role of a tool for political contention (…) For when the international winds shift direction, it may bec ome sacrificed to politics and will be spurned by the marketplace,” wrote People’s Daily overseas edition in an article about the incident.
Google’s relations with China deteriorated in early 2010 when Google partly pulled out of the country due to censorship concerns and a hacking attack on Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.
Although Google was far more cautious this time around – it never directly accused the Chinese government of involvement in the attacks – the stern response from Chinese officials and media outlets foreshadows another meltdown in relations between the internet giant and the world’s most populous nation.
[via Reuters]
More About: china, Google, hack, hacking, politics
