Google postpones phone launches in China

Google's recent turmoil in China has prompted the company to halt the launch of two Android smartphones in the Chinese market.

The company told Dow Jones Newswire on Tuesday that it has indefinitely postponed the Chinese debut of two mobile phones manufactured by Samsung and Motorola. The phones, which were to be sold by provider China Unicom, were initially set to hit China on Wednesday.

An unnamed source told Dow Jones that Google felt it would be "irresponsible" to unveil the phones now, in light of the company's current situation in China. No details were given regarding when or if the launch would be rescheduled.

Since opening up shop in China in 2006, Google has self-censored the search results of its Chinese site to comply with the country's strict communications rules. But Google, whose company slogan is "don't be evil," announced last week that it would no longer censor results even if it meant closing down operations in that country.

This reversal was triggered in part by last year's cyberattacks against Google and other U.S. companies, which were designed to dig up information on Chinese human rights activists. Google didn't specifically point the finger at the Chinese government, but it did say that these attacks and China's attempts to limit free speech have forced it to reevaluate its business interests in that country.

The skirmish has even pulled in the U.S. government. The State Department announced Friday that it will issue a formal request to China for an explanation of the cyberattacks.