Google Wants China. Does China Want Google?
June 8, 2016
Years ago Google acted more like a nation state than a Silicon Valley outfit selling online advertising. China wanted Google to be — well, China supportive. Google wanted China to change. The dog was not wagged by that dog.
China is a large market. Google is locked in a perceptual battle with regulators, lawyers, and elected officials over its approach to business. Plus, Google has to face the reality of Amazon and Facebook. Both of these outfits are growing in market sectors which Google has not been able to put into its barn; namely, ecommerce and social media.
China, therefore, looks tempting.
I read “Google CEO: Open to returning to China.” I would assume so. China is struggling, but it does have quite a few eyeballs online. [Note that when you follow the link to the original, be careful where you click; otherwise USA Today sends you to an index page so you get to click on the Google story and see another video ad.]
The write up reports Google’s chief ad sales professional as saying:
“If we can do it in the right and thoughtful way, we are always open to it,” said Pichai at the Code conference here. “I care about serving consumers everywhere.”
I wonder if China wants Google in a “right and thoughtful way.”
Stephen E Arnold, June 8, 2016
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