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Google said on Tuesday that it was considering shutting down Google.cn and closing its offices in China after a cyber attack on its corporate infrastructure resulted in intellectual property loss. Google also said it would stop censoring search results on Google.cn. For the first time, reports and images of the Tiananmen Square massacre and other events could be seen through Google searches in China.

Chinese American media rushing to provide their analysis in the context of U.S.-China relations. “Google, Don’t become a tool in the political fight between the U.S. and China” read the headline of an editorial published Friday in China Press. “Though Obama tried to adapt to China’s increasingly powerful role in the world with a new attitude and said the United States would not repress China’s development, the differences in ideology between the countries continue to prohibit the U.S.-China relationship from moving forward,” the editorial argued.

“If the Chinese government just let it go, Google could stop its financial losses in China, which would be beneficial to its share price. If the Chinese government is willing to compromise, Google will become the ‘hero’ that breaks China’s strict control over Internet information.” Chinese investors, Leung noted, believe the absence of Google will actually benefit the local Internet market; the stock prices of Chinese Internet companies rose right after the announcement was made.