China blocks foreign news sites that revealed elite's offshore holdings

In a move that shows just how paranoid China's government is about its people having insight into who governs them they have ordered news sites that reported on the financial dealings of its elite to be blocked.  

 • Guardian among sites blocked over reports
• China Digital Times publishes details of directive

The blocking of foreign news sites that revealed details of offshore holdings by the relatives of senior leaders has continued in China as reports emerged of a propaganda directive ordering websites and services to target users posting on the subject.

Details of the order were published by China Digital Times, a website that monitors censorship instructions.

“Immediately find and remove the foreign media report “China’s Secret Offshore Tax Havens” and related content. Interactive platforms must strictly check [users]. Related images and accusatory comments about leaders and the system [of government] must be deleted without exception,” said the instructions, according to CDT.

“Block the [user] IDs of those who have an evil influence and coordinate on-the-ground investigations with the relevant departments.”

Such directives are often delivered verbally and are extremely sensitive. The Guardian has not verified the order independently.

The website Greatfire.org, which monitors which overseas sites are censored by China, reported that the Guardian, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and six more sites that worked on the project were partly or completely blocked. The sites began to experience access problems around the time they published the reports.