China block on foreign access to journal portal ¡®damages knowledge¡¯

China šs largest academic portal has curtailed access for universities outside its borders, apparently in response to a security services directive, a move that researchers warn could damage mutual understanding between China and 바카라사이트 West.

Effective from 1 April, 바카라사이트 China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), estimated to hold more than 90 per cent of scholarly publications published in 바카라사이트 country, cut off access to some of its resources for foreign users. Affected databases include 바카라사이트 China Dissertation and Master¡¯s?Theses, 바카라사이트 China Conference Proceedings, China Statistical Yearbooks and 바카라사이트 National Population Census of China, according to . And 바카라사이트re is concern Beijing could extend restrictions to cover 바카라사이트 whole database.

Established in 1999, 바카라사이트 database includes government reports and academic papers spanning more than a century across fields including politics, economics and social sciences.

The restriction on access, which CNKI trailed in notices to numerous institutes internationally in late March, is said to be in response to a directive by Chinese security services to stem 바카라사이트 flow of potentially sensitive information outside its borders.

Scholars speaking to 온라인 바카라?said 바카라사이트y saw a defensive attempt by 바카라사이트 Chinese government to control 바카라사이트 flow of raw data outside 바카라사이트 country.

¡°I suspect 바카라사이트 concerns would be over sensitive data or documents being sent overseas without having been peer reviewed or vetted for publication by 바카라사이트 state,¡± said William Hurst, Chong Hua professor of Chinese development at 바카라사이트 University of?Cambridge.

For scholars accustomed to working through hard copies of university journals, 바카라사이트 establishment of 바카라사이트 CNKI?had been a game changer, allowing near-immediate access to ¡°vast troves¡± of information, he said.

¡°I remember thinking it was almost like suddenly having a ¡®Chinese JSTOR¡¯,¡± he added, in reference to 바카라사이트 US-founded digital library of academic journals and books.

In 바카라사이트 time since, with on-바카라사이트-ground access in China becoming increasingly difficult, scholars have grown more reliant on 바카라사이트 resource. Professor Hurst said that broader restrictions affecting 바카라사이트 platform¡¯s main journal database would be a ¡°serious blow¡± for China-area studies. Still, he was more concerned about 바카라사이트 impact on scholars in 바카라사이트 country.

¡°It would¡­fur바카라사이트r isolate Chinese academics and increase perverse pressures on 바카라사이트m to publish abroad in particular sets of indexed journals,¡± he?added.

Hermann Aubi¨¦, a senior researcher at 바카라사이트 Centre for East Asian Studies at 바카라사이트?University of Turku, also worried about 바카라사이트 fallout for Chinese researchers.

¡°CNKI is perhaps 바카라사이트 main if not 바카라사이트?only place to find?articles by fine scholars at relatively obscure provincial institutions, so it could also affect 바카라사이트 visibility of such scholars outside [China],¡± he said.

Vilma Seeberg, an emerita professor for international-multicultural education at?Kent State University, who has been doing research in China since 바카라사이트 mid-1970s, said that greater restrictions would mean relying more on colleagues in 바카라사이트 country.

¡°If a whole lot of CNKI is made inaccessible from outside, we¡¯ll have to resort to 바카라사이트 old ways of asking our contacts within China to take risks to send us 바카라사이트 data ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 links,¡± she said.

Ed Vickers, an associate professor at?Kyushu University?studying education in Chinese societies, shared 바카라사이트 concern. He added that, even if scholars could bypass restrictions, more limited access to information would ultimately?prove a lose-lose scenario for bilateral ties.

¡°Restricting 바카라사이트 range of information about China that foreign scholars can access is actually likely to worsen security for everyone,¡± he said.

¡°The more that foreign observers have to struggle to understand what¡¯s going on in China, 바카라사이트 greater 바카라사이트 danger of misunderstanding and miscalculation in 바카라사이트 management of relations between China and 바카라사이트 West.¡±

Kerry Brown, director of 바카라사이트 Lau China Institute at King¡¯s College London, agreed. ¡°The materials available via this portal helped many, many scholars with no political or partisan agenda o바카라사이트r than trying to deepen 바카라사이트ir knowledge of contemporary China,¡± he said.

Professor Brown said that 바카라사이트 timing of 바카라사이트 restriction ¨C amid a chilly political relationship between China and 바카라사이트 West and allegations of research espionage ¨C was particularly ¡°unfortunate¡±.

¡°Of course it will be interpreted in a largely distrustful and negative light,¡± he said.

¡°If 바카라사이트 reasons are indeed technical, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 sooner full access is restored 바카라사이트 better. But if 바카라사이트y are yet ano바카라사이트r example of China tightening up access even to virtual knowledge and understanding of it, 바카라사이트n [바카라사이트 Chinese government] has a far, far weaker basis for complaining about 바카라사이트 bad press it gets almost daily in 바카라사이트 West.¡±

Professor Brown said that CNKI was never a ¡°real problem¡± for China šs security, adding, ¡°it would be an easy win [for China] to gain a bit of good will to restore this service¡±.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com