You can say all the bad things about the Chinese government, at least they're open about information control.

If you think you can obtain information on anything you wanted up and including sensitive information just because you're living under a democracy you're deluding yourself.

Perhaps you can see tanks in Tibet ?

That's okay, the U.S. government has real-time satellite spying, plus the rest of us can use Google Earth. So the chinese government isn't doing anything by their ban on online mapping other than demonstrating their stupidity.

Oh, and the CIA has ways to get demographic facts that don't depend on the approval of the ChiComs.

So they are blocking these sites inside China and probably taking down some internal Chinese sites.

Everyone outside China can still visit google maps, so what does this have to do with stopping the leaking of state secrets.


Must be a case of the westen media getting it wrong again because it makes no sense.

This is why net neutrality should never be challenged. As soon as it is broken we end up like China, the LAN that goes to the border and stops.

Dick Cheney removed his home from Google Map. Google map information regarding some U.S. consulate is absolutely inaccurate (I just waste almost an hour to find the U.S. Consulate by following Google Map, the map would lead you to a completely wrong direction, is it an accident, or is done intentionally? Well, make your own mind). 
It's not just the Chinese, things like this happen to many other governments.

I have been following this site. If I have no idea about China, would I get an accurate picture about China? Or may be CNN is more accurate? 

There are many problems with China, and the progress has been moving forward and backward at times. 

Overall, China is moving forward, the internet is great media for Chinese people. The government is busy to handle the new media, but I guess eventually people will win.