USTR 'studying' possible WTO complaint on China's Web rules

The Obama administration is still "studying" the facts to determine whether it should challenge China's Internet practices before the World Trade Organization (WTO), US Trade Representative Ron Kirk said Tuesday.

However, Kirk stressed that he would still prefer to use direct negotiations to address China's tough online censorship rules, adding that strategic talks between U.S. officials and Chinese censors are likely to be more productive and less complicated than a protracted WTO fight.

"We are still dialoging, not just with Google, but with other Internet providers, to make sure we fully understand what is happening in China," Kirk told the National Press Club in a speech Tuesday. "And we are studying, trying to make our own determination, whether we believe [Chinese censorship] is in fact not WTO-compliant, and whether the best resolution is to go forward and file an appeal." However, Kirk quickly added: "Our preference, and my very strong preference ... is if we can get these resolved through direct negotiations, within the context of our dialogue with China.

Meanwhile, Google said it is fully prepared to shut down its China operation if that is the only way to end the country's censorship of its networks. "Google is firm in its decision to stop censoring in China," said Nicole Wong, Google's deputy general counsel, in a hearing today before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. "We do not underestimate the seriousness or sensitivity of the decision is made...We are not going to change our decision." "If the option is that we shutter our .cn operation and leave the country, we are prepared to do that," she said.