China Blocks NYTimes Website

by Taylor Flatt on December 21st, 2008 at 10:36 am EDT - 155 views

The Chinese government has begun blocking access to the NYTimes website this weekend. Although no real explanation has been made, they have released a statement concerning the matter, “Concerning your particular question, we’re not really familiar with the details,” said a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. “Web site maintenance is not within the job purview of the Foreign Ministry.” While the government is refusing the answer these questions, they seem to be going back to the ways they were before the Olympics.

With their restrictions and vague statements, what more are we to expect from a government that is looking to surpress the media from their countrymen? Although the website is not blocked throughout the whole country, it is however, blocked in places like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

I will stay with this story and alert you of any updates that might come of this from the Chinese government concerning the matter. Hopefully they will release the ban of the website and allow their people once more to view one of the biggest media sites in the world.

Source: NYTimes