Web Censorship:

2005 brought several reports of US web powers complying with Chinese internet censorship policies. Yahoo and even "Don't be evil" Google have both admitted to modifying search results for Chinese users and now (big surprise) Microsoft has hopped on board with MiniTru. The standard defense offered by companies like Google and Microsoft is that they are simply complying with international and local laws, a prerequisite of doing business as a global company.

Companies are understandably worried about being shut out of China if they resist Party policy, but at which point should they draw the line? For the companies in question I'm sure this is a business decision, however, on a personal level I wonder what how much water the national sovereignty argument holds. During the lead up to the second Iraq war, for instance, I was never convinced by arguments that invasion was wrong because it breached Iraq's sovereignty. Respect for sovereignty, it seems to me, should come with a few requirements, a representative government and basic civil liberties among them. China is a borderline case. I find it hard to accept its government as truly legitimate, but the pragmatist in me is happy to take whatever path will lead to less opaque and more responsive/accountable government. But how plausible is the argument that playing by their rules just enough to gain entry will lead to gradual inevitable reformative pressure from the inside? It strikes me that the Chinese government knows precisely what it is doing and how badly other countries want a piece of their market. If I had to guess, I would say that internal pressures, not external (direct or indirect) will be the main challenge to the Party in the next few decades. Of course that assertion is based on exactly no hard data. What do you think?