Google's decision to stop censoring search engines based in China has upset country officials, who've enforced strict Internet regulations for years.

China requires Google to block searches on sensitive topics.

On Monday, however, Google started redirecting its China search engine to a site based out of Hong Kong-- an area where censorship is not mandated.

China expert Gordon Chang told CBN News China's residents are the big winners from Google's move.

"For 30 years the Chinese citizens have been pushing their government back," he said. "A lot of people say the Communist party sponsored reforms. No it didn't. This was ratifying what the Chinese people were doing because the Chinese people want what everybody else in the world wants."

"They want more say in their lives," Chang continued. "So essentially the Chinese government has had to withdraw as the Chinese people push them out of the way."

China's online censorship is among the toughest in the world. It's known as the "great firewall."

Social networking sites like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook are also all blocked.