[FreepForever]

... it should be welcomed as a sign that China is truly becoming a more open and civilised society.

Then, why are all web sites (local and international) with SARS related contents blocked?

People are calling it THE GREAT FIREWALL OF CHINA. China will be an open society with iron fist media control in about 500 years. Let's wait.

[Filibuster_60]

Then, why are all web sites (local and international) with SARS related contents blocked?

I'd be surprised if that were still the case today, as my contacts in mainland China tell me that the state media is now so obsessed with SARS you wouldn't know they have a ton of other problems. Things can change rather quickly under a dictatorship.

[chilepepper]

I wouldn't underestimate the intelligence and resourcefulness of the common "just folks" chinese who i am sure can get the truth despite the best efforts of a brutish and probably not particularly agile totalitarian government who actually believe that information can be repressed on the internet.