AA – As of 11:30 GMT Friday, Internet users could not access Reuters, Bloomberg, BBC and The Wall Street Journal.

Access to some foreign news websites has been blocked in China.

Since Wednesday, Internet users have been unnable to access the websites of world-renowned news agencies such as Reuters, Bloomberg, BBC and The Wall Street Journal.


Netizens can still access The Anadolu Agency, however.


Last January, China also blocked people from using Virtual Private Networks (VPN) – used to cheat servers into thinking that users are in another country – not their own – and thus allowing them to access websites banned at home.


VPNs were being used to access websites such as Google, Facebook, Youtube and Twitter – all restricted in China.


Chinese people have also been unnable to access photo-sharing app Instagram and Google since the end of the last year.


With some websites banned, local users have been drawn to Twitter-like microblog service “Weibo,” online video provider “Youku” and social network “Renren.”

The Chinese government is yet to comment on the bans.