1. Shanghai’s new trade zone will lift a ban on foreign websites
The
pilot
free
trade
zone
in
Shanghai
was
unveiled
on
29
September.
China's
official
media
play
down
speculation
over
the
lifting
of
an
internet
access
ban
on
sensitive
foreign
websites
at
a
free
trade
zone
in
Shanghai.
Recently
unnamed
"government
sources"
tipped
off
the
South
China
Morning
Post
on
plans
for
Shanghai's
new
free
trade
zone
to
lift
a
ban
on
foreign
websites
deemed
"politically
sensitive"
by
authorities,
such
as
Facebook,
Twitter
and
The
New
York
Times.
While
neither
confirming
nor
denying
the
report,
state-­‐run
Global
Times
stresses
that
the
government's
inevitable
easing
of
internet
restrictions
"should
be
allowed
to
happen
naturally",
rather
than
be
pressured
by
public
opinion.
"The
firewall's
gradual
liberalisation
in
certain
sectors
should
not
be
a
political
issue.
The
Shanghai
free
trade
zone
should
decide
whether
to
open
up
Facebook
and
other
popular
foreign
websites
based
on
actual
demand.
Public
reaction
should
not
be
the
primary
consideration
for
this
decision,"
the
paper
says.
Meanwhile,
some
netizens
are
calling
for
access
to
sensitive
foreign
websites
to
extend
beyond
Shanghai's
pilot
free
trade
zone.
"Mainland
internet
users
point
out
that
the
authorities
should
lift
a
nationwide
internet
ban
at
an
early
date
to
give
freedom
of
information
to
the
people,"
notes
Hong
Kong's
Oriental
Daily
News.
From
BBC
For
more
information
contact
Christian
Brüel
christian.bruel@schultz-­‐co.com at
Schultz
&
Co.
Read
more
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-­‐asia-­‐china-­‐24237160