When Google announced it would cease censoring Chinese search results even if it meant decamping from China, most observers assumed that Beijing wouldn't hesitate to show them the door. But as weeks passed, the other shoe refused to drop. Even after Hillary Clintons policy address on Internet freedom less than two weeks later, the situation remained in limbo. The prolonged hesitation points to the complex nature of Beijings relationship with the Internet. This talk will address misperceptions about Internet censorship in China, the reasons for Google's announcement, and the impact that a Google withdrawal might have on the Chinese Internet ecosystem.
