The great Google/China showdown of 2010 turned some global attention to the persistent problem of Internet censorship in an increasingly global world. That flare up has since quieted down, but Google is sure to turn a few angry heads with its new Transparency Report. The report, which you can run for yourself at google.com/transparencyreport/, displays a map of the world with information about censorship activities on each country.

The report displays the number of times a country asked for information about Google users and the number of times the country asked to have information censored or taken away. There is also a traffic graph that shows a worldwide breakdown traffic patterns for Google services, which can help to distinguish government-created interruptions from unintended interruptions.

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I’m somewhat surprised to report that the Chinese government has approved Google’s ICP license renewal, so Google will continue to operate in the country.

Late last month, Google changed the way that it operates the Chinese version of its search engine–Google.cn. After tensions first began earlier this year, the company began rerouting Google.cn users to Google’s uncensored Hong Kong version in order to avoid Chinese censorship regulations. Needless to say, China wasn’t really happy with that move and it was looking like Google’s license was about to take a short trip into history. Google changed the landing page to include a link to the Hong Kong version rather than automatically re-routing users there and successfully appeased the Chinese government.

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The tension between China and Google is about to reaching a turning point–for better or worse. Google’s Chinese ICP license for Google.cn is up for renewal as of June 30. The Chinese government is discontent with the Hong Kong website where Google automatically links users of Google.cn, and a renewal is not looking likely. Google, therefore, has been backed into revising its approach.

The search company announced today that to appease Chinese authorities Google will stop redirecting Chinese users to Google.com.hk and will offer a new Google.cn landing page on which users can manually access Google.com.hk through a link. Google hopes this new approach will result in an ICP renewal.

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Given the amount of media surrounding the Google/China debacle here in the U.S., one would think that the story would be just HUGE in China. That would certainly be the case if it wasn’t for that whole government censorship thing. China has responded to the news much the way it responds to any other news that puts the government in a poor light: by limiting access to information. In addition to controlling what its citizens can access via the Internet, China also plays hardball with media outlets ensuring that they don’t cover such topics. A nice little cycle isn’t it?

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Google may have lost the support of some business associates over its hard line against China, but the company has the complete backing of Congress. That must feel a little like when a kid pisses of all of his neighborhood friends, but his parents pat him on the back and let him know he did the right thing.

At a Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing yesterday, members of Congress applauded Google for shuttering its Chinese search engine this week. GoDaddy.com, which appeared at the hearing to discuss its own problems with China, also received praise for vowing to discontinue Chinese website domains.

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In response to new Chinese regulations requiring a host of data from website registrants, GoDaddy plans to stop offering “cn” domains. China’s new rules, which GoDaddy deems intrusive, require registrants to provide a variety of data including business information and pictures of themselves. GoDaddy fears the rules will allow undue surveillance of websites. The company is discussing the issue with lawmakers today.

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Well, isn’t that ironic. And yeah. I really do think. This morning, the U.K.’s Guardian reported that a search for “Google executives” presented an English-based link for “Corporate Information–Google Management”. Normal enough, right? Well, when clicking the link, searchers were taken to a page that was in Chinese. The main corporate site–google.com/corporate–was also in Chinese and even linked to the non-censored Chinese Google site.

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Showing much more speed and determination than it did when Google first denounced China’s censorship back in January, China has countered Google’s closing of its Chinese search engine, calling it “totally wrong”, limiting access to Hong Kong search results and putting pressure on Chinese companies to cut ties with Google.

Government firewalls have limited Chinese searchers’ access to controversial terms and websites through the Hong Kong Google search engine. Several companies, including China’s biggest cellular operation China Mobile, are expected to bow to government pressure and renege on deals with Google.

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So long as you didn’t just wake up from a four-year coma, you know all about Google’s decision to cease operation of its China search engine and redirect Chinese users (hopefully) through Hong Kong. The New York Times’ Steve Lohr had the opportunity to get a few words of wisdom from Google co-founder Sergey Brin on the decision and what happens next, and Brin offered a peak behind the scenes.

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