With the 2008 Olympics looming, a minister from the British Foreign Office has urged China to facilitate Chinese access to the BBC. Chinese officials won’t cop to intentionally blocking BBC radio waves and website content, but they’re not denying it either. The Communist Party is notorious for quashing news that doesn’t jibe with its message.

This restrictive behavior isn’t flying with the international community, as is also evidenced by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s similar message less than two weeks ago, when he encouraged China to allow more freedom with Internet access.