CHINA

U.S. Internet giant Google's threat to withdraw from China is generating an outpouring of nationalist fervor from the country's online community, with some cheering it as a victory for the Chinese.

Share markets in Asia rebounded on Thursday as worries that China's policy tightening would slow its demand receded, while strong Australian jobs data raised the chances of a February interest rate hike and boosted the Aussie dollar.

Gold prices advanced for the second successive day in Asian trade Thursday as the dollar remained under pressure. Gold for immediate delivery was seen trading at $1143.45 an ounce at 11.15 a.m Singapore time while U.S. gold futures for February delivery were up 0.6 percent at $1,143.30 per ounce at the same time.

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A law firm representing a U.S. software maker that is suing China for code theft said it has been targeted by Chinese hackers, a day after Google Inc. threatened to withdraw from the country following similar attacks.

* WHAT: China's Q4 GDP growth* WHEN: Jan 21

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average gained 1 percent on Thursday, with tech shares up after their U.S. rivals gained and exporters also higher as worries about the negative impact of China's monetary tightening on its economy faded.

Cyber attacks on Google Inc's China operations could scare businesses and consumers into spending more on protection, benefiting security companies like McAfee Inc, Symantec Corp and Trend Micro.

Google's threat to quit China over censorship and hacking intensified Sino-U.S. frictions on Wednesday as Washington said it had serious concerns and demanded an explanation from Beijing.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke urged China on Wednesday to ensure a secure commercial environment for Google and other U.S. companies after the world's top search engine said it may shut its Chinese-language website because of cyber attacks.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) expects new members to join at its next meeting while China and world top oil exporter Saudi Arabia are to attend as observers, its head said on Wednesday.

Google's threat to quit China over censorship and hacking intensified Sino-U.S. frictions on Wednesday as Washington said it had serious concerns and demanded an explanation from Beijing.

Goldman Sachs chief executive officer Lloyd Blankfein said on Tuesday that the root causes of the nation's recent financial crisis was due to a sustained period of cheap credit and excess liquidity.

The head of General Motors Co's China operations said on Wednesday that GM is still awaiting Beijing's approval for a deal to sell Hummer and that he is uncertain of the outcome.

Google Inc and other companies were investigating on cyber attack by China and more details have emerged.

Five of France's biggest book sellers called on publishing houses and the government for support in creating a new retail structure for electronic books to fend off Amazon, Google and Apple.

Google should carry out its threat to withdraw from China. The US search giant says a cyber-attack on its intellectual property, and attempts to access email data from human rights activists, have driven it to the edge.

Google Inc announced Tuesday it is no longer willing to continue censoring Internet search results in China, and that it may shut down the google.cn website and pull its offices in the country.

Google has embarked on a game of brinksmanship in China, saying it may quit the world's biggest Internet market by users after hackers apparently looking for information on dissidents broke into its China site.

China markets were still shaken on Wednesday, lagging behind others due to a lower economic outlook after the central bank raised the reserve requirement for banks.

Google Inc's threat to withdraw from China over censorship and cyber attacks has suddenly jeopardized any plans it has for the world's biggest Internet market, stunning investors and analysts.