August 23, 2017, 09:19 AM 
"The Chinese way", this was how nationalist tabloid Global Times rationalised the Chinese authorities' decision to block access to more than 300 politically sensitive articles published in academic journal The China Quarterly.
"Western institutions have the freedom to choose. If they don't like the Chinese way, they can stop engaging with us. If they think China's Internet market is so important that they can't miss out, they need to respect Chinese law and adapt to the Chinese way."
Harmful external information
The state mouthpiece said this in an op-ed on Aug. 20, after Cambridge University Press (CUP), the publisher's initial compliance with the Chinese order, asserting that the decision was made in accordance to China's laws as "some information on foreign websites [were deemed] harmful to Chinese society".
It also said that China was "trying to strike a balance between opening itself up and preventing harmful external information from penetrating into Chinese society, to realize steady and sustainable progress."
The editorial was critical of "arrogant and absurd" Western forces who felt aggrieved that China's laws and regulations "can make some Western institutions respect Chinese regulations."
Censoring the censorship U-turn
The decision by CUP to reverse its original decision on Aug. 22, amid intensifying criticism and calls for an academic boycott, was celebrated by many Chinese internet users, but online censors moved swiftly to prevent word of the snub from spreading in the country.
A statement posted by CUP on Chinese social media platform Weibo is now no longer available online.
Full post prior to the ban:
.@Cambridge_Uni has also announced its decision to push back against Chinese censorship on Chinese social media, in Chinese pic.twitter.com/laV6u4O1yi
— Tom Phillips (@tomphillipsin) 22 August 2017
Aftermath of the ban:
"Sorry, the article has been deleted" - @Cambridge_Uni statement on @chinaquarterly censorship controversy has just vanished from Weibo pic.twitter.com/PgAPj2co8d
— Tom Phillips (@tomphillipsin) 22 August 2017
[related_story]
Prior to the censorship of the statement on Weibo, many Chinese internet users were sharing and praising Cambridge's move.
It has garnered more than 6,000 likes, shares and comments so far.
Top image via here
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