They talked over Obama's speech in China, too

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions...To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

If you live in China and read only Chinese, you didn't see those lines from President Barack Obama's inauguration speech yesterday, and if you were watching the inauguration live on television, you didn't hear them, either.

According to The New York Times, the live broadcast of the inaugural address on China Central Television, the country's main state-run network, was interrupted after the "communism" line, and went instead to an analyst. In addition, Chinese translations of the speech published on official channels left out the two lines, though English printings included them.

Following the credo of Electronic Frontier Foundation founder John Gilmore, "The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it," Chinese Internet users reportedly spotted the deletion quickly and publicized the correct text of the speech. US news sources began reporting it as early as 8:30 pm EST on Tuesday.