China Says Google's Phone Technology Will Not Be Restricted

China says its domestic mobile phone carriers can use an operating system developed by U.S. technology giant Google.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology told reporters in Beijing Wednesday there should be no restrictions on use of Google's Android system, as long as it conforms with the nation's rules and regulations and cooperates with the mobile phone carriers.

Google has threatened to withdraw from China because of censorship concerns and cyber attacks on its e-mail accounts earlier this month.

The ministry spokesman denied any government involvement in online attacks against Google Monday.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on  China and other authoritarian governments to lift restrictions on citizens' access to cyber space in a major speech last week.

China denounced Clinton's comments as groundless, calling them harmful to relations.