Why a Nervous China Aims to Shield Citizens From Egypt News

The most powerful nations in the world watch helplessly as protests build in Egypt. Instability could spread throughout the Greater Middle East and deeper into Africa. China has invested heavily in the continent, and so far remains neutral, other than expressing hopes for stability, reports Peter Ford for the Christian Science Monitor. Attempting to maintain stability at home, the Chinese government has sharply limited news reports to those from state-run Xinhua news agency, focusing on challenges for Chinese citizens stuck in Egypt, and forbids diffusion of foreign media accounts. The government warned websites that did not censor comments on the unrest would be “shut down by force.” So far, enforcement is sporadic, as a Hong Kong network reports live from Cairo. And official reports have not yet deleted readers’ comments, some of which support a general political push for transparency and democratization. – YaleGlobal