Google is the big story of the day, demanding China make nice. Unless the People’s Republic stops censoring the people’s search queries, and stops hacking the people’s Gmail accounts, then Google will have little choice but to pack up and leave. As the New York Times points out, at stake for Google is access to the world’s largest Net market of 300 million surfers. The NYT also says Google does nice business in China that brings in $300 million in revenues. But $300 million is really a pittance — just about 1.1 percent of Google’s forecast revenues for the upcoming year. Google says as much, calling its China revenues “truly immaterial.” Google’s Chief Legal Officer David Drummond even says that entering China “was never really a financial move for us.”

Google then should go if China doesn’t cave to its demands. It’s the only foreign media company with the leverage to play hard ball with the Chinese government over its repressive track record. Kowtowing to them for this long has been a real smear on its image and runs counter to its “Don’t Be Evil” pledge. And, we see now there really isn’t a pressing business interest to stay and play by the Party’s rules.