Yahoo turns to Washington for help on China (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq: - ) said on Thursdayit was seeking the government's help in urging China to allowmore media freedom, after reports linking information it gaveto Chinese authorities with the jailing of a dissident.

Last month, the Internet media company was cited in aChinese court decision to jail an Internet writer for 10 yearsfor subversion in 2003 -- the fourth such case to surfaceimplicating Yahoo.

Yahoo Chairman and Chief Executive Terry Semel, speaking atan event, said it had no choice but to comply with local lawsand did not have the power to change Chinese policy.

"Governments change governments. Governments who are intrade together can certainly change governments," he said. "Wetried and we are going to continue to try as an industry tohave our government help us."

He also said that closing down Yahoo's operations in Chinawould not help boost free speech and he hoped other news andpublishing companies doing business in China would stay despitethe limitations.

"You have to get whatever news you possibly can into Chinaas opposed to pulling back," he said. "Will they be edited?Yes. Should you go home? No."

The case was the latest to highlight conflicts of profitsand principles for Internet companies in China, the world's No.2 Internet market.

Web search leader Google Inc. (Nasdaq: - ) has come under firefor saying it would block politically sensitive terms on itsnew China site, bowing to conditions set by Beijing.

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