Tensions rise over Google row with China

China has not made any significant comment since Google, the world's top search engine, said it will not abide by censorship and may shut its Chinese-language google.cn website because of attacks from China on human rights activists using its Gmail service and on dozens of companies, including Adobe Systems.

Chinese authorities were "seeking more information on Google's statement", the Xinhua news agency reported, citing an unnamed official from China's State Council Information Office, the government arm of the country's propaganda system. Friction over the Internet now seems sure to stoke tensions between the United States and China, joining friction over climate change, trade, human rights and military ambition.

With China the largest lender to the United States, holding $800bn (491.5bn) in Treasury bills, these Internet tensions will make steering this vast, fast-evolving relationship all the more tricky, especially with the US Congress in an election year.

"China has been taking a harder line," said Shi Yinhong, an expert on relations with the United States at Renmin University in Beijing. "The next few months are going to see some turbulence in China-US relations. We may see some tactical concessions from China, but the general trend isn't towards compromise." China has said it does not sponsor hacking.

Pressing China for an explanation, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: "The ability to operate with confidence in cyberspace is critical in a modern society and economy.

"We've been briefed by Google on these allegations, which raise very serious concerns."

Chinese industry analysts said the issue had snowballed beyond Google and its problems.

"If this becomes heavily politicised, and there are signs that it is, and people in the Chinese government say, 'This is good. It serves you right, and we won't bow our heads to the United States, then there'll be no way out," said Xie Wen, a former executive in China for Yahoo.