The publishing arm of the University of Cambridge has reversed its decision to block access to more than 300 articles in China after it was accused of bowing to pressure from Beijing.

Tim Pringle, the editor of the China Quarterly, Cambridge University Press’s leading China-focused journal, said on Monday that CUP had decided to unblock the pieces after it was attacked over its earlier decision. The articles covered sensitive topics ranging from Tibet to the Tiananmen Square protests. 

“This is a result of both of our representations and the reaction from the international scholarly community,” said Mr Pringle, a lecturer at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. “It is not the role of a respected global publishing house like CUP to hinder access to the journals it publishes. This puts academic freedom where it belongs, which is before economic considerations.”