China censors block report on princelings' offshore assets

CHINA's censors have shut down a news site that revealed family members of the nation's top political leaders are storing their wealth offshore.

CHINA's internet censors have moved swiftly to shut down an online investigative news site that has revealed more than a dozen family members of the nation's top political leaders are storing their wealth in secretive, offshore accounts.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has today published the sensitive financial information of some of China's most high profile identities, including President Xi Jinping's brother-in-law and former Premier Wen Jiabao's son and son-in-law.

It said the group of 'princelings' had established offshore accounts, primarily in the Virgin Islands, using well-known western financial institutions in a bid to hide their wealth.

It is estimated that between $US1 trillion and $US4 trillion in assets have secretly left China over the past 13 years through an intricate network of overseas accounts.

The explosive allegations are the result of a two-year investigation by the ICIJ, and were also published by The Guardian in Britain.

Chinese internet censors have today blocked the ICIJ website in China but the Guardian's website is still available.

The Chinese government has yet to respond to the allegations.

The Guardian's wesbite has been partially blocked by censors today, with access to the newspaper's front page carrying the wealth story not available in China.

The story was published across a number of metropolitan newspapers in conjunction with the ICIJ.

The website of El Pais, the Spanish newspaper, has been blocked today while Australian online publication, The Global Mail, has been partially censored.

However, it appears the story remains readable on Le Monde, Suddeutsche Zeitun and Canada's CBC News.