The Chinese government has blocked The Guardian website according to internet watchdog www.greatfire.org.

It is understood that the newspaper’s website was blacklisted by authorities on Tuesday. The New York Times and Bloomberg were both blocked in 2012 for stories deemed critical of the regime.

The Guardian said the last China-related story was published on 6 January exploring ethnic tensions in the north-western region of Xinjang. However previous stories on the same subject did not result in a ban.