Google claims China is interfering with Gmail

INTERNET MESSAGING OUTFIT Google has laid the blame for its recent problems in its Gmail service in China squarely at the door of the Chinese government, claiming that it is purposefully interfering with the service.

To say that Google and China do not get on is an understatement. Not only does the company find itself in second place in the Internet search rankings behind Baidu in the Middle Kingdom, an unusual circumstance for the Internet dominator, but it has also been on the short end of a number of blocks and hacks there, allegedly at the hands of the Chinese government.

The relationship between the two is already fraught and now it looks like the Chinese government, or at least hackers at its disposal, have been bashing away at the Gmail system at a time when it might have been particularly useful for citizens of the glorious People's Republic.

In a statement, Google said that it could find no Gmail technical issues at its end that explained the recent glitches with its email and chat service and placed the blame at China's table.

"There is no technical issue on our side - we have checked extensively. This is a government blockage carefully designed to look like the problem is with Gmail," Google said to AFP.

The timing is interesting, as it has coincided with a recent period of unrest in Middle Eastern countries that saw citizens rise up against oppressive governments.

The INQUIRER is not accusing the Chinese government of being oppressive, but if it quacks like a Peking duck, well.... µ