Clinton urges Internet freedom, condemns cyber attacks

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday called for an unfettered worldwide Internet and urged global condemnation of those who conduct cyber attacks, as China sought to contain tension with the United States over the hacking and censorship of Google.

"A new information curtain is descending across much of the world," she said, calling growing Internet curbs the modern equivalent of the Berlin Wall.

"We stand for a single Internet where all of humanity has equal access to knowledge and ideas," said Clinton in a major address that cited China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt among countries that censored the Internet or harassed bloggers.

Countries that built electronic barriers to parts of the Internet or filtered search engine results contravened the U.N.''s Universal Declaration on Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of information, she said.

Addressing concerns about cyber spying in China that have prompted Google Inc. to threaten to quit that market, Clinton said "countries or individuals that engage in cyber attacks should face consequences and international condemnation."

"In an interconnected world, an attack on one nation''s networks can be an attack on all," Clinton said.

"We look to Chinese authorities to conduct a thorough investigation of the cyber intrusions that led Google to make this announcement," she said.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told reporters Washington had discussed the Google case with China several times from "working levels to very senior levels."

CHINA PLAYS DOWN ROW

In Beijing, comments by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei on Thursday appeared to be part of an effort to play down disputes and avoid further straining ties with Washington that are already troubled by quarrels over trade, Taiwan and human rights.

"The Google incident should not be linked to bilateral relations, otherwise that would be over-interpreting it," the official Xinhua news agency quoted He as telling Chinese reporters.

He seemed to be seeking to limit potential fallout from the Google dispute, which could compound tensions with Washington as Congress heads into an election year and U.S. criticism of Chinese trade practices escalates.