Authorities lifted a long-standing blocking of foreign media Web sites Oct. 18, just in time for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to meet in Shanghai, but within hours of the dignitaries’ departure the blocks were back in place. The Web is heavily censored in China; travelers can access email at Internet cafes but should not expect to browse the Web at will. Monitoring software is required at such cafes to report on users attempting to access politically sensitive or pornographic material.
