Google Map Service Unlists Taiwan as a Province of China

Excerpted from:
Taipei Times

Staff Writer, Taipei Times
Wednesday, Oct 12, 2005

Following protests from legislators and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) over the Google Maps service's reference to Taiwan as a part of China, the Internet search engine over the weekend removed the words "a province of China" from its map of Taiwan.

The description of Taiwan as a "province of China" used on Google's map service incurred criticism, with the TSU legislative caucus earlier last week launching a letter campaign and MOFA instructing its US representative office to ask Google for a correction.

A Google Inc international affairs spokesman told the Central News Agency that since the purpose of the map service is to provide information on geographic location, removing controversial literature or explanations was a way for the company to improve its product.

According to Google's Web site, Google Maps provides users with data such as business locations and driving directions.

*Please visit link above for more details*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The logical choice: Simply remove it. I suggested they probably would do just that in a recent ATS thread about it. And google is using every bit of justification they can muster to explain why, because no doubt- Beijing is watching.

So the next question becomes "How is China going to react, and will they buy google's explanations?" Something tells me it won't be too long before we find out. As trigger happy as China seems to be recently with that whole UAE/Taiwan no contact mandate over a simple visit from Chen, it will be interesting to see their reaction, if any.

[edit on 12-10-2005 by TrueAmerican]

China has thrown a predictable strop at Google after the search monolith apparently bowed to Taiwanese pressure to stop calling the island a province of China on its popular maps service.

www.theregister.co.uk...

im completly Pro-china but these little things shouldn't matter.

With the increased PRC-ROC co-operation it is inetivable that taiwan will become chinese once more.

Originally posted by chinawhite
With the increased PRC-ROC co-operation it is inetivable that taiwan will become chinese once more.

You mean increased intimidation?

Originally posted by TrueAmerican

Originally posted by chinawhite
With the increased PRC-ROC co-operation it is inetivable that taiwan will become chinese once more.

You mean increased intimidation?

Actually I think the word is coertion as in reunify or we will destroy you

Originally posted by FredT
Actually I think the word is coertion as in reunify or we will destroy you

Yes Fred, and soon that word may turn to ultimatum.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
You mean increased intimidation?

No that is not what i am looking for.

I think its called MONEY.

Doesn't China’s censorship program already block Google? I mean, we cant have those students researching “bad” stuff on Google. BTW, whether chins likes it or not Taiwan will not reunify with it.

Originally posted by WestPoint23
Doesn't China’s censorship program already block Google? I mean, we cant have those students researching “bad” stuff on Google. BTW, whether chins likes it or not Taiwan will not reunify with it.

Well, one would think that it is probably highly filtered, if nothing else. But it doesn't makes sense that it is completely blocked, otherwise why would they boycott something that was already boycotted?

china has 104million ADSL users. and even more dial-up users.

There are easy ways to overcome the filters

chinawhite, so how widespread is this google boycott?

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
chinawhite, so how widespread is this google boycott?

I dunno.

I dont live their


I think you got confused with what i said before.

I meant people i have met use a program to overcome these filters. A member here gave me this website(because he thought my internet was censored)

www.dit-inc.us...

It seems simple enough to use it.

[edit on 21-10-2005 by chinawhite]

ok don't turn this into another Taiwan vs China or a China vs US thread, I'll request if it does turn into such I'll request that it be closed, I'm sick and tired of entering all these goram threads, stick to the "Can China invade Taiwan" thread in the weapons sub forum if you wish to discuss it.

Quite frankly what a person who doesn't know what he's/she's talking about traditionally doesn't deserve to give his/her opinion on the matter, especially if such a opinion is nothing more then a double standard.

[edit on 22-10-2005 by The Middle Kingdom]

Quite frankly what a person who doesn't know what he's talking about traditionally doesn't deserve to give his/her opinion on the matter, especially if such a opinion is nothing more then a double standard.

If only I wish that were the case, it would cut down the BS on ATS by more than half. Shame really

Quite frankly what a person who doesn't know what he's talking

Oh by the way, you missed a she after he, unless of course you have someone particular in mind?

... ... ... ok wow, I've never had my post proofed read on whether r not I put the him/her or not before...

But nevertheless I shall edit it to make any feminists/affimativenists happy.

(but I was kinda unconsiously refering to Oct/Bodebliss or how I wsh they'ld argue with actual facts and not gibberish and speculation.)

[edit on 22-10-2005 by The Middle Kingdom]

Originally posted by The Middle Kingdom

Quite frankly what a person who doesn't know what he's/she's talking about traditionally doesn't deserve to give his/her opinion on the matter, especially if such a opinion is nothing more then a double standard.

MK you refering to me?

Ok, before this thread gets too far off topic, I think I should maybe point out the "conspiracy" angle on it.

It was recently suggested in another article at Taipei Times that China may be increasing or over dramatizing disputes with foreign countries, in order to increase internal cohesion and sense of unity. And the whole business of the UAE thing came to mind, as China seemed excessively upset over a simple visit from Chen to the UAE (United Arab Emarates). I say excessively because China mandated that the UAE stop all contact with Taiwan immediately. Now in my book, over a simple visit, that IS excessive.

Ok so then this story came about with google, and I thought it would be curious to see Chinese reaction over google's removal of the term "province of China" from Taiwan's google map service listing. I wanted to see what China might do or how they would react, and see if the conspiracy angle still held any water. Well, I guess now I know. Instead of calling google, taking it up with them, and discussing the problem, Beijing is now boycotting google completely. LOL.

So Far:
Conspiracy: 2
China: 0

K? K. ty.

Now maybe The Middle Kingdom, since he appears to be there in China, could help shed some light on why China felt it necessary to act that way, and help counter the idea that China is increasing or over dramatizing disputes with foreign countries, in order to increase internal cohesion and sense of unity. Especially since we all know that there has been trouble brewing in many of the provinces, and continual trouble with the whole Taiwan reunification thing.

And no, this is not another China vs. US thread, forget it. I hope that will help clear up why I brought the story here in the first place. Good day people, and let's keep it on subject, k?

"MK you refering to me? "

Bu shi, as I said I wasn't consiously refering to anyone. Unconsiously I refer to Oct and Bodebliss and an anyomynous third person whose name I can't recal.

And good, just that I want to avoid the Taiwan issue in threads not of the original "Can China Take Taiwan" thread since I really do not wish to waste my time on such. And it was Westpoint who was about to turn it into said topic and I wanted to end that tangent immediatly before the topic would get derailed.

As for google I find it an encredibly flexible resource and I can use it just fine from my personal computer, whether its because of the PLA's firewall or because its not actively in force I don't know.

I all seriousness I think our a minister or two is just trying to win some influence and secretly negotiating with google considering google has considerable net investment in China as far as I am aware.

[edit on 22-10-2005 by The Middle Kingdom]

Originally posted by The Middle Kingdom
"MK you refering to me? "

Bu shi, as I said I wasn't consiously refering to anyone. Unconsiously I refer to Oct and Bodebliss and an anyomynous third person whose name I can't recal.

Ok thats all i wanted to know