“Chinese People Don’t Like Google…”

After settling in Sweden, I changed my default search engine back to Google and started looking for possible Google services.

The last time I used Google Docs was in college, when we shared materials for the Jessup Moot Court. Before the competition even started, the site was blocked. Fortunately, our college team had advanced and was traveling to Washington, D.C., for the final round.

After hearing that I was from China, a bus driver said: “Chinese people don’t like Google.” I corrected him: “It’s not the Chinese people, it’s the Chinese government.” He then repeated my words to himself.

On Monday, Google Translate announced it was shutting down operations in China, marking the end of a twelve-year farewell. It reminded me of the past. One team member later went to work for Google in Singapore.

“This marks the almost complete withdrawal of the US technology giant from the world’s second-largest economy…” I wonder if the driver I was talking to will start muttering again when the news comes on the radio.