China censoring all news of Egyptian uprising

In a sign of official unease about the unrest in Egypt and the fact that it could spark calls for reform at home, Chinese censors are apparently blocking online discussion and sanitising news reports on the subject.

Keyword searches on the protests returned no results Monday on microblogs and the reader comment function on news reports about Egypt was disabled on major portals as China's pervasive censorship apparatus swung into full gear.

News coverage of the demonstrations against the 30-year rule of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was limited to sparse accounts that largely glossed over the underlying political factors and calls for democracy.

The coverage that there was tended to emphasise the lawlessness in Cairo and the need to restore order - a message hammered home by the foreign ministry.

Major Chinese newspapers on Monday ran no photos from Egypt, while the main midday news omitted footage of street protests, instead showing Mubarak meeting top officials.

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