The mainland is giving greater scrutiny to media with foreign involvement, suspending the publication of one magazine and ousting the team producing another in what some industry officials see as a tightening of control over English-language media ahead of the Olympics.
This month, the government temporarily halted publication of the popular monthly magazine Time Out Beijing, citing licensing issues.
The scrapping of the June issue, first reported by The Times of London, came after more than three years of publication. A representative of Time Out said the move was caused by a recent change of partners in China.
'It is normal commercial practice to renew print permits following the establishment of new business relationships. While existing printing permits are being renewed, real-time English-language content is available online,' an e-mailed statement said.
UK-based Time Out, which bills itself as the leading authority on the world's best cities, recently joined with Hong Kong-listed advertising agency SEEC Media Group. The mainland strictly controls foreign participation in media content, so all ventures must have a domestic partner.
The website of Time Out Beijing remains accessible, including content from the banned print edition.
A state-backed publisher has ousted the team producing another English-language magazine, that's Beijing.