China on Tuesday dismissed reports that foreign investment, the main stay of the nation's

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economic progress would be hit if internet giant Google decides to quit from the country.

"As to the impact of Google's possible retreat, it is only an individual business's action which will not affect the investment environment in China," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.

US-based Google, the world's largest Internet search engine said it was considering leaving China because of censoring requirements and hacker attacks. Qin said that if Google quits, it would not change the fact that most foreign enterprises, including American ones, were operating well and making good profits in China.

Relevant Chinese government departments have kept frequent exchanges with international Internet operators, Qin said adding that "we emphasise that any businesses operating in China, whether they are domestic ones or from overseas, shall abide by Chinese laws".

On March 12, Chinese minister of industry and information technology, Li Yizhong said that Google was welcome to stay and expand its business but it will have to face the consequence if it insists on doing things that violates China's laws and regulations.

"It is irresponsible and unfriendly if Google insists in doing something that goes against China's laws and regulations, and it will have to bear the consequence for doing so," he said a day after a Google official told US lawmakers that it was firm in its decision to "stop censoring our search results for China".

Google also told the lawmakers that it was "prepared" to leave the country if Beijing continue to insist on screening its content.