The move could bring production of newspapers such as The Financial Times and the International Herald Tribune to Chinese soil.

Foreign newspapers for the Chinese market are currently produced in Hong Kong and imported, but international publishers are keen to exploit growing opportunities in the country.

Liu Binjie, deputy head of China's General Administration of Press and Publication, told the FT that papers printed in China "will still have to go through the procedures for imported goods".

A spokesperson for The Guardian said that the paper was monitoring events but had no plans to print there.

Imported papers can have pages removed if articles touch on sensitive political topics or are critical of China.