China's decision to postpone its requirement that all new personal computers sold in the country be loaded with web-filtering software is something of a climbdown. Beijing appears to have underestimated the backlash, at home and abroad, against its attempt to extend significantly the reach of its policing of the internet.

It should, ideally, regard this episode as an administrative glitch rather than a loss of face and take the opportunity to rethink its strategy. Assuming, that is, China has every intention of fully joining the modern information economy.

China had ordered all PC makers to install Green Dam/Youth Escort, ostensibly a filter against pornography, by yesterday. This evidently proved logistically impossible and has hopefully become too hot a political potato.