spiritual movement (both of which are methodically blocked), and includes independent media
and dissenting voices, human rights, political
reform, and circumvention tools.
Testing was conducted on two backbone
providers, the state-owned telecoms China
Netcom (CNC) and China Telecom (CT), which
between them provide coverage nationwide.
Because both control access to an international
gateway, URL filtering and domain name system
(DNS) tampering implemented by CNC and CT
affect all users of the network regardless of ISP.
China also uses IP blocking at these international gateway to block access to at least 300 IP
addresses, which are remarkably similar across
both backbone ISPs. Though China does not
employ keyword blocking on the body content of
any given page, it filters by keywords that appear
in the host header (domain name) or URL path.
Although there is almost complete correlation in blocking between CNC and CT, there are
some gaps within certain families of Web sites.
The English and Chinese versions of Wikipedia
continue to be closely monitored by media and
rights groups, and at time of testing the site
www.wikipedia.org was accessible on both ISPs,
while Chinese-language Wikipedia (zh.wikipedia.
org) was inaccessible only on China Telecom.
Certain bloggers, including Zeng Jinyan, the wife
of activist Hu Jia (zengjinyan.spaces.live.com)
were also blocked solely on CT.
As an example of targeted filtering, of the
major international news organizations, only the
BBC (news.bbc.co.uk) is blocked by both ISPs.
The main Web site of the U.S. government–
sponsored Voice of America news service, along
with the Epoch Times (the newspaper published
by the Falun Gong), are the other media outlets
on the global list filtered by CNC and CT. The
situation changed entirely, however, with
Chinese-language media outside mainland
China. From Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, Ming Pao
and Sing Tao Daily newspapers to the U.S.-based
World Journal and Chinesenewsnet, a significant
number of independent media representing
different points on the political spectrum were
filtered. The Taiwan newspaper China Times
(www.chinatimes.com.tw), although blocked at
time of testing, was reportedly accessible in early
2007. 39 Further, news in languages spoken by
ethnic minorities in contested regions was also
blocked, but with less uniformity. While Radio
Free Asia (RFA)’s Uyghur service (www.rfa.org/
uyghur) was blocked by both ISPs, RFA’s main
site and its Tibetan service were inaccessible
only on China Telecom.
China filters a significant portion of content
specific to its own human rights record and practices. As such, only a few global human rights
sites, including Amnesty International, Article 19,
and Human Rights First were blocked or suspected to be blocked. Thus, although China is a
member of the International Labor Organization,
which along with other U.N. bodies are accessible to mainland users, the Web site of the China
Labour Bulletin (www.clb.org.hk/public/main) and
other Chinese labor rights watchdogs are
blocked. Similarly, the Web site of the
Congressional-Executive Commission on China
(www.cecc.gov) is filtered, but the U.S.
Commission on International Religious Freedom
(www.uscirf.gov), which has a broader mandate
but has published critical reports on China,
remains accessible. While blocked content mostly originates from overseas organizations and
individuals (including those from Hong Kong),
some organizations within China are also filtered
(such as the rights defender network
www.gmwq.org/web/index.asp).
Certain targets for blocking cut across
political and social lines of conflict. The consistent filtering of Web sites supporting greater
autonomy and rights protection for the
Uyghur (www.uyghurcongress.org), Tibetan
(www.savetibet.org), and Mongolian (www.
innermongolia.org) ethnic minorities is not surprising, as these issues have already been
excluded from official discourse inside China.
Country Summaries
267
and dissenting voices, human rights, political
reform, and circumvention tools.
Testing was conducted on two backbone
providers, the state-owned telecoms China
Netcom (CNC) and China Telecom (CT), which
between them provide coverage nationwide.
Because both control access to an international
gateway, URL filtering and domain name system
(DNS) tampering implemented by CNC and CT
affect all users of the network regardless of ISP.
China also uses IP blocking at these international gateway to block access to at least 300 IP
addresses, which are remarkably similar across
both backbone ISPs. Though China does not
employ keyword blocking on the body content of
any given page, it filters by keywords that appear
in the host header (domain name) or URL path.
Although there is almost complete correlation in blocking between CNC and CT, there are
some gaps within certain families of Web sites.
The English and Chinese versions of Wikipedia
continue to be closely monitored by media and
rights groups, and at time of testing the site
www.wikipedia.org was accessible on both ISPs,
while Chinese-language Wikipedia (zh.wikipedia.
org) was inaccessible only on China Telecom.
Certain bloggers, including Zeng Jinyan, the wife
of activist Hu Jia (zengjinyan.spaces.live.com)
were also blocked solely on CT.
As an example of targeted filtering, of the
major international news organizations, only the
BBC (news.bbc.co.uk) is blocked by both ISPs.
The main Web site of the U.S. government–
sponsored Voice of America news service, along
with the Epoch Times (the newspaper published
by the Falun Gong), are the other media outlets
on the global list filtered by CNC and CT. The
situation changed entirely, however, with
Chinese-language media outside mainland
China. From Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, Ming Pao
and Sing Tao Daily newspapers to the U.S.-based
World Journal and Chinesenewsnet, a significant
number of independent media representing
different points on the political spectrum were
filtered. The Taiwan newspaper China Times
(www.chinatimes.com.tw), although blocked at
time of testing, was reportedly accessible in early
2007. 39 Further, news in languages spoken by
ethnic minorities in contested regions was also
blocked, but with less uniformity. While Radio
Free Asia (RFA)’s Uyghur service (www.rfa.org/
uyghur) was blocked by both ISPs, RFA’s main
site and its Tibetan service were inaccessible
only on China Telecom.
China filters a significant portion of content
specific to its own human rights record and practices. As such, only a few global human rights
sites, including Amnesty International, Article 19,
and Human Rights First were blocked or suspected to be blocked. Thus, although China is a
member of the International Labor Organization,
which along with other U.N. bodies are accessible to mainland users, the Web site of the China
Labour Bulletin (www.clb.org.hk/public/main) and
other Chinese labor rights watchdogs are
blocked. Similarly, the Web site of the
Congressional-Executive Commission on China
(www.cecc.gov) is filtered, but the U.S.
Commission on International Religious Freedom
(www.uscirf.gov), which has a broader mandate
but has published critical reports on China,
remains accessible. While blocked content mostly originates from overseas organizations and
individuals (including those from Hong Kong),
some organizations within China are also filtered
(such as the rights defender network
www.gmwq.org/web/index.asp).
Certain targets for blocking cut across
political and social lines of conflict. The consistent filtering of Web sites supporting greater
autonomy and rights protection for the
Uyghur (www.uyghurcongress.org), Tibetan
(www.savetibet.org), and Mongolian (www.
innermongolia.org) ethnic minorities is not surprising, as these issues have already been
excluded from official discourse inside China.
Country Summaries
267