Google in border dispute over Chinese mapping

6 May 2008 | 13:18 BST

By Sylvie Barak

GOOGLE IS IN TROUBLE with the Chinese government over its online mapping, which the Chinese are worried will expose state secrets and damage territorial integrity, according to a government-controlled newspaper.

The People's Daily reported on Monday that the vice head of the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, Min Yiren, said that authorities were trying to stamp out all Internet maps which 'wrongly' depicted China’s borders, or show locations of military bases and army presence. Perhaps they are worried about the world seeing what is really happening in Tibet.

Back in April Chinese state media said that the government would be cracking down on sites showing unapproved maps, of which there are about 10,000. The communist super state is especially indignant about any maps that show disputed territories as falling outside of China, like Taiwan for example. The government has also made it clear that it will block any maps showing the Spratlys and Paracels island chains in the South China Sea and the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, as being independent of China.

The newspaper named and shamed Internet search engine giant Google, along with China's own Sohu and Baidu for illegal mapping. Perhaps China is hoping that Google will make its sneaky satellites swerve off to the left whenever China comes spinning into view, or cover its eyes and ears and shout la laa laa laaa.

Talk about see no evil. µ

L'Inq
AFP

See Also
Chinese ban online mapping too

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