The issue of academic freedom in China hit the headlines this week after the leading British academic publisher, Cambridge University Press, said it had complied with a request to block online access to some scholarly articles in China.

It later reversed its position.

"Earlier this year LexisNexis Business Insight Solutions in China was asked to remove some content from its database," LexisNexis said in a statement. "In March 2017, the company withdrew two products (Nexis and LexisNexis Academic) from the Chinese market."

LexisNexis is owned by information group Relx.

(Reporting by Kate Holton, editing by Louise Heavens)