Google tries a route around Chinese Web censorship

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Google Inc. will shift its search engine for China off the mainland and maintain other operations in the country. It's an attempt to balance its stance against censorship with its desire to profit from an explosively growing Internet market.

The compromise announced Monday resolves a 2 1/2-month impasse pitting the world's most powerful Internet company against the government of the world's most populous country.

Google plans to keep its engineering and sales offices in China so it can keep a technological toehold in the country and continue to sell ads for the Chinese-language version of its search engine in the U.S.

But even as it maintains a presence in China, Google is still taking a risk that it will be less able to take advantage of opportunities in the market.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Google Inc. will shift its search engine for China off the mainland and maintain other operations in the country. It's an attempt to balance its stance against censorship with its desire to profit from an explosively growing Internet market.

The compromise announced Monday resolves a 2 1/2-month impasse pitting the world's most powerful Internet company against the government of the world's most populous country.

Google plans to keep its engineering and sales offices in China so it can keep a technological toehold in the country and continue to sell ads for the Chinese-language version of its search engine in the U.S.

But even as it maintains a presence in China, Google is still taking a risk that it will be less able to take advantage of opportunities in the market.