The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has not received Google's request for negotiations yet, said Vice Minister Miao Wei on Saturday.

Google's had never filed reports over alleged Internet regulation and cyber attacks to the ministry or requests for negotiations, said Miao, on the sidelines of China's annual session of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature.

It had also never informed the ministry that it was planning to withdraw from China, the official added.

Google's corporate development and chief legal officer, David Drummond, said in January the disputes with the Chinese government on Internet regulation and major cyber attacks on his company, which allegedly originated from China, have forced Google to consider exiting from China.

Miao said the Chinese government bans and detests hacking. "We never support hacking attacks because China also falls the victim to hacking attacks."

"If Google has had evidence that the attacks came from China, the Chinese government will welcome them to provide the information and will severely punish the offenders according to law," he said.

Miao added China has its own domestic situation and cultural tradition, and it accords with the world's common practice that China regulates the Internet according to its laws and policies.

Miao said the Chinese government would continue to provide a sound investment environment for overseas investors, including Internet companies, and protect their legitimate rights.

"If Google decides to continue its business in China and abides by China's laws, it's welcome to stay," Miao said. "If the company chooses to withdraw from the Chinese market, it must go through certain procedures according to the law and regulations and deal with customers' problems that may arise."

Google had studied China's laws and regulations before it entered the Chinese market in 2007 and had pledged in written form to abide by the laws and regulations.

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