China: Twitter survey on a Google departure

Someone estimated this week that despite being blocked, Twitter still has between 26,000 and 30,000 active users in mainland China.

When Google announced its presence in China was being deeply reconsidered, blogger Dupola began conducting a survey on Twitter on people's views regarding the possible departure of Google from mainland China. The survey is still underway, but Dupola has just released a summary of the results received as of January 15:

注:除“你的身份是?”以外,其他均为多选题,所以比例可能看起来有点奇怪。格式为:选项 — 票数 — 图表。

Note: Aside from “You identify as…?”, all other questions are multiple choice, which might explain why the ratio looks a little off. The format for results is: responses – tallies – chart.

你的身份是?
中国人在中国 — 420 — 93%
中国人在外国 — 3 — 1%
其他 — 30 — 6%

You identify as:
Chinese in China – 420 – 93%
Chinese overseas – 3 – 1%
Other – 30 – 6%

googlequitchina_repot_1

如 Google 退出中国,你的态度是?
抱歉,这项没统计分析。

If Google withdraws from China, your attitude will be:
Apologies, results to this question have yet to be compiled.

你认为 Google 此举是?
坚守自己“不作恶”的底线 — 384
商业策略失败,败走中国 — 44
一定是炒作 — 9
看不懂唉 — 67

You see this move by Google as:
Upholding its commitment of “don't be evil” – 384
Failure of its commercial strategy, leaving China defeated – 44
Promotional gimmick – 9
No idea – 67

googlequitchina_repot_3

如 Google 退出中国,你将会…?
用百度等国货 — 24
用Bing/Yahoo等外国货 — 73
翻墙 Google — 397
呼吁中国政府放宽审查,呼吁Google重返中国 — 206

If Google withdraws from China, you will…
Use Baidu and other domestic services – 24
Use Bing/Yahoo and other foreign services – 73
Circumvent censorship and use Google.com – 397
Call on the Chinese government to relax censorship and call for Google to return to China – 206

googlequitchina_repot_4

对此,你认为中国政府是否应该负责?
很明显,应当负全责 — 373
不好说,可能 Google 不够强大或者沟通出问题了 — 82
当然不,中国政府无须负责 — 5

In your view, should the Chinese government take responsibility for this?
Obviously it should take full responsibility – 373
Hard to say, Google might not have been forceful enough or able to communicate well – 82
Of course not, the Chinese government has no responsibility for this – 5

googlequitchina_repot_5

你认为此事会对其他在华外企构成什么影响?
无影响,照旧 — 144
坚守自己的商业道德底线 — 123
重新审视自己的道德操守并努力执行 — 211
干脆退出中国 — 73

What impact do you feel this will have on other foreign enterprises operating in China?
None whatsoever, things will continue as they were – 144
They will uphold their bottom line business ethics – 123
They will review their moral integrity and make efforts to enforce it – 211
They will simply withdraw from China – 73

googlequitchina_repot_6

你认为此事会对中国企业有何影响?
无意识,照旧 — 219
无影响,照旧,外加鄙视Google总部 — 106
重新审视自己的道德操守并努力执行 — 83
有意识有努力,苟延残喘 — 140

What impact do you feel this will have on Chinese enterprises?
Lack of awareness, things will continue as they were – 219
No impact, things will continue as they were, in addition they will despise Google headquarters – 106
They will review their moral integrity and make efforts to enforce it – 83
They are aware and making similar efforts, struggling to survive – 140

googlequitchina_repot_7

Dupola goes on to point out that while Twitter users only comprise a fragment of China's online population and this survey only reflects a portion of those, it is better than the alternative of nothing.

The ongoing survey can be found at http://u.dupola.net/19
The latest results can be accessed at http://dupola.net/post/337
The statistical summary can also be downloaded in XLS or PDF format.

Regarding the survey, Twitter user @xdp1999 comments:

这个统计结果提示在互联网上人们趋向于与自己观点相近的群体。

These results show that Internet users as a group tend to stick with others who share similar viewpoints.

For more views on Google, see Key's post at ChinaHush, ‘Chinese netizens say goodbye to Google with Google doodles’
confuciusgoogle011
“How happy we are. To have friends come from afar!”- Confucius

4 comments

  • Thank you John, You did a great job.

  • wgj

    It’s well known that the majority of Chinese Twitter users are “liberals” with anti-government attitudes – they’re the ones most motivated to climb the GFW to reach an uncensored platform, while pro-government “fenqings” with no worry of being censored mostly stay inside the GFW. So, a survey of Chinese twitterers is as representative as a survey of the viewers of “Fox and Friends”.

  • Hi Dupola, thanks to you too for carrying out the survey.

    Wgj, two points. Chinese Twitter users or liberals for that matter can’t be described as predominantly anti-government and I think it’s ridiculous that you do so. As for the fenqing you mention, I think it’s erroneous to simply refer to them as pro-government or to imply that they receive some sort of privilege when it comes to posting comments on websites hosted within China. Generally speaking, anyone who crosses the line through the use of banned keywords or in violation of any other arbitrary criteria, get censored. Thanks for your comment.

  • Louis Godena

    As far as the Google “controversy” is concerned, recent reports that Google employees themselves were involved in the “original” “hacking” may be a premonition that the whole affair was a provocation on the part of agencies hostile to the Chinese government. Such actions have become so routine (often with the connivance of “friendly” press outlets and various non-governmental organizations who dutifully bleat out the usual expressions of fake “outrage.”), that one’s visceral response should be one of extreme caution. That virtually all parties in world politics engage in this sort of thing should be sufficient to make one suspicious.

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