The Chinese foreign ministry has blocked The New York Times' English and Chinese language websites, whilst also banning searches for “New York Times” on search engines and micro blogs.
The New York Times was accused of smearing the country’s reputation after releasing a report that outlined appropriation of wealth by the Chinese Head of government, Wen Jiabao, who had distributed assets worth $2.7 within his extended family.
The New York Times report, that posed questions around Jiabao’s ‘modest background’ , was also referred to in a BBC news report which was then also blocked by Beijing.
A spokesman, Hong Lei, explained the decision to block the site, stating,
“China manages the internet in accordance with laws and rules.”
The Chinese censorship of reports on wealth distribution is becoming a regular occurrence, with a similar Bloomberg report being blocked earlier this year.
China’s most recent act of censorship comes as the Chinese leadership transition, which occurs once in a decade, is set to take place within the next few weeks.
