News Summary: US microblog in China disappears

Published July 13, 2012 4:33pm ET



ACCOUNT DISAPPEARED: A widely read microblog written by the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai and known for its sometimes tongue-in-cheek comments about China’s social and political issues was inaccessible Friday.

REASON UNKNOWN: Sina Weibo, China’s most popular microblog site that hosts the consulate’s account, said it could be a technical glitch, an explanation the company has given in the past in cases involving government censorship. American officials said they did not know why the account was unavailable.

CONTEXT: U.S. diplomats have boosted their public diplomacy through social media.