According to Danwei, wikipedia is currently unblocked in China. But wait, which wikipedia are we talking about? Apparently it is only the English wikipedia that is unblocked; the Chinese wikipedia is still blocked.
One of the arguments I make in an article I wrote earlier on Chinese internet policy is how this metaphor of the Great Firewall obstructs our understanding of internet censorship. The Great Wall metaphor leads us to think internet censorship is all about the (Western) barbarians trying to invade China – think CNN, BBC, and also (the English) Wikipedia. What the Great Firewall metaphor obscures are the ‘internal barbarians’ trying to talk to 1) ‘other internal barbarians’ (e.g. Chinese citizens talking to each other) and 2) the outside world (e.g. censorship is not just about the right to receive information, but also to impart and share it with others yourself). If the internet is truly going to have an impact, it is because Chinese citizens are empowered because they can talk to each other, coordinate and form associations and also share their views with the rest of the world. In this light, it is really really telling and problematic that the English wikipedia is unblocked, but the Chinese wikipedia remains censored and blocked.