Yahoo: We Followed Law in China Dissident Case

Defending its actions in disclosing the identities of Chinese dissidents, Yahoo on Monday said it acted with Chinese law in doing so.

The company has been roundly criticized for its involvement in several jailings, including journalists Wang Xiaoning and Shi Tao. Both were accused of using Yahoo's services to distribute subversive material about the Chinese government.

Wang and Shi have since sued Yahoo for their involvement, and Yahoo's response Monday was part of a motion to have the case dismissed. The company claims that it was required by law to hand over the information, and the move was triggered by "a lawful government request for the collection of evidence relevant to a pending investigation."

It has also supplied documents that aim to show the information Yahoo did provide was not directly responsible for their jailings, and both plaintiffs should have known what they were using Yahoo services for was illegal under Chinese law.

"Free speech rights as we understand them in the United States are not the law in China," Yahoo said in the filing. "Every sovereign nation has a right to regulate speech within its borders."

The company also warned that a victory for the plaintiffs could harm US-China relations.