China advertisers press Google for plans

Mar 18 2010 by Iain Laing, The Journal

GOOGLE'S advertisers in China are calling on the company to give more information about the company's plans there after it said it may pull out.

A letter from 27 Google-authorised sales representatives was posted on the website of Chinese state-run television which carries compensation demands for investors, employees and clients.

Google had said it was considering shutting down its Google.cn site amidst a political row about access to the net and concerns that Google was being hacked by government agents. Neither the company nor the Chinese government have disclosed how well the discussions about them have gone so far but the company’s Chinese clients are concerned about the length of time they have gone on.

“We see a constant stream of information but cannot predict the future, we see business sliding, but there is nothing we can do,” says the letter, which was also posted on a website affiliated with China’s central television. “We are waiting now in incomparable pain and disquiet.”

The company said it was reviewing the contents of the letter.