China Blocks 'Egypt' Search Term

As protests continue to rage across Egypt, Chinese authorities have blocked Internet searches for the country’s name in its microblogging services. Big portals like Sohu.com and Sina.com have been offering the Twitter-like services, but a search for "Egypt" on Sina.com returns this message: "According to relevant laws, statues and policies, the search results cannot be displayed."

Chinese media coverage of the protests has been minimal, with many newspapers printing similar, state-provided reports and glossing over the causes of the unrest as well as news of government corruption and rising prices in Egypt. Instead, coverage focuses on the protests’ economic fallout, the Los Angeles Times reports. (More China stories.)