Yahoo Inc. supports rival Google Inc.'s threatened departure from China because of computer attacks that pried into the e-mail accounts of human rights activists. In a statement Wednesday, Yahoo said it's "aligned" with Google's reaction to the hacking that originated within China.

Yahoo, based in Sunnyvale, Calif., closed its offices in China in 2005 when it sold its business there to the Alibaba Group. As part of that deal, Yahoo retains a 39 per cent stake in Alibaba that represents one of Yahoo's most valuable assets. Yahoo spokeswoman Nina Blackwell declined on Wednesday to say whether its solidarity with Google would cause the company to sell its Alibaba holdings.