White House, Beijing Joust Over Censorship

The White House on Thursday came out forcefully behind Google Inc.'s plan to stop censoring its search engine in China, while Beijing defended its Internet policies, saying foreign Web companies were welcome to do business in the country "in accordance with the law."

Asked at a briefing whether supporting Google could erode the U.S.'s relationship with China, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said, "the president has strong beliefs about the universal rights of men and women throughout the globe. Those aren't carved out for certain countries."

President Barack Obama gave a speech on the importance of open Internet use during a trip to China in November. In a speech at a town hall meeting in Shanghai, the president described himself as a "big supporter of noncensorship." His remarks also singled out Google. "If it had not been for the freedom and the openness that the Internet allows, Google wouldn't exist," he said.