YNOT – In response to Google’s threats to pull out of the Chinese market, unless it can operate without censoring search results, an official from the Chinese government has responded by defending his country’s official pro-censorship stance. In a statement that was posted on the State Council Information Office website, cabinet spokesman Wang Chen argued that censoring the Internet protects the citizens of China from any adverse consequences that might be caused by “rumors” or misleading information.”Maintaining the safe operation of the Internet and the secure flow of information is a fundamental requirement for guaranteeing state security and people’s fundamental interests, promoting economic development and cultural prosperity and maintaining a harmonious and stable society,” Wang said.

Although the Chinese government has aggressively targeted pornography, as well as online discussion of sensitive topics like the Dalai Lama and the Tienanmen Square massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators, Wang focused his defense of censorship on vague notions of controlling “false information.”

“The Internet gives space for spreading rumors and issuing false information and other actions that diminish confidence, and this is causing serious damage to society and the public interest,” Wang argued.

China’s defense of censorship came after Google’s recent shocking announcement that it would no longer censor its results in China, a move that appears to be in response to a hacking attempt by Chinese agents. Hackers from inside China attempted to access secure information about human rights activists, a move that has angered Google and has many speculating that the Chinese government itself was behind the hacker attacks.

According to the New York Times, Google currently holds almost 27% of the Chinese search market, approximately half of that held by China’s homegrown Baidu search service.