Authorities Close Down Century China Website

More than 100 Chinese intellectuals have condemned the country's propaganda authorities for closing down a popular website that they described as "the last oasis of knowledge on China's internet".

In the latest act of resistance against the communist government's crackdown on public debate, the lawyers, authors and journalists issued a statement opposing the shutdown of Century China.

The website, which was set up by a Hong Kong University and a Beijing research institute, had a reputation for liberalism. Popular among academics as well as dissidents, its discussion forum had more than 30,000 registered members,

"We understand very well that government administrative power has the most damaging effect on free speech," said the statement. "This is why we must voice our clear and strong protest."

The 103 signatories included Gao Yu, a former winner of Unesco's world press freedom award who spent seven years in jail for her writings, the Tibetan author Oser, dissident writer Liu Xiaobo and Li Datong, who was fired this year as editor of Freezing Point, a weekly supplement in China Youth Daily, because he allowed the publication of articles that questioned the government line on history, corruption and political reform.