Google Should Comply With Censorship Laws to Return to China: State Media

Google can return to China if it complies with the country's censorship laws, a Chinese state-owned newspaper said in an editorial published on Monday.

"Google is welcome to return to the mainland, but it's a prerequisite that it must comply with the requirements of the law," said the article which was published on the website of the People's Daily - the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party of China.

According to a report in The Intercept last week, Google, which has been blocked in China since 2010, was planning to re-launch its search engine in the country with censored results.

The censored version of Google will block searches on human rights, religion and peaceful protests, which has led to criticism from non-governmental organisations such as Amnesty International.

The editorial said that China's cyberspace "has sovereignty and borders, and must be regulated by national laws and regulations," Efe reported.

"No country will allow the Internet to be filled with pornography, violence, subversive messages, ethnic separatism, religious extremism, racism and terrorism," it read.

The editorial also criticised Google's decision to exit the Chinese market eight years ago, calling it a huge mistake.

"Google has been a politicised brand. This is undoubtedly a tragedy for this well-known multinational company... which made it miss golden chances in the mainland's Internet development," it said.