I think one could make two strong arguments that Google leaving China makes good <i>business</i> sense, and is not just a warm-fuzzies thing.<p>First of all, whoever broke into Google’s servers and collected confidential data from them made Google look like a chump.  Given that Google’s long-term business plans seem to involve convincing lots of people to entrust even more sensitive data to Google’s servers, Google has a strong interest in not looking like a chump.<p>Second, if the PRC government has veto power over what search results Google can show, and Google’s ability to compete depends on the quality of its search results, and the government favors Chinese-based companies that it can control more closely... perhaps the deck is just so stacked against Google that it would get more ROI doing business in a less authoritarian country.