Which country announced that it would introduce its own national online encyclopaedia by the year 2018?

Introduction / Context:
This general knowledge question focuses on international developments in information control and digital content. Some countries have planned or built their own online encyclopaedia platforms as alternatives to open projects like Wikipedia. The question asks you to remember which country publicly announced a plan to launch its own national encyclopaedia by 2018, highlighting the link between technology, governance and knowledge management.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- We are told that one country planned to introduce its own encyclopaedia by 2018.
- The options are Iran, India, Iraq, China and Russia.
- We assume the encyclopaedia is state guided and intended as an alternative to foreign or uncontrolled content sources.

Concept / Approach:
The concept tested here is recognition of major current affairs related to the internet and media policy. Some large states prefer to host and control their own information platforms. You can approach the question by recalling which of these countries has a strong record of building domestic versions of global services and of tightly regulating online content. Elimination based on each country profile is often enough even if you do not remember the headline exactly.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Think about which listed countries have created domestic alternatives to popular international websites and social networks. Step 2: Recognise that China has its own major search engines, social media platforms and strict control over external sites. Step 3: Recall news reports about China planning a national online encyclopaedia compiled by state approved scholars. Step 4: Compare this with India, which uses Wikipedia widely and has not announced a replacement encyclopaedia project of this scale. Step 5: Iran, Iraq and Russia have various controls over information, but the specific 2018 encyclopaedia plan was reported with respect to China.

Verification / Alternative check:
As an alternative check, remember that Chinese authorities expressed concerns that some online encyclopaedia content did not reflect their preferred viewpoints and that they wanted a national knowledge base carrying what they considered correct information. This clearly matches media coverage about China, not the other options. Connecting the idea of a government supervised online encyclopaedia with Chinas general internet policy confirms the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Iran regulates internet use but the widely reported plan for a national encyclopaedia for 2018 was not associated with Iran.
India has many digital initiatives but continues to rely on global encyclopaedia platforms and has not announced such a centralised replacement project.
Iraq has focused more on reconstruction and stability issues and is not noted for launching a national encyclopaedia by 2018.
Russia has discussed data localisation and platform control, but the specific 2018 encyclopaedia story in exams refers to China rather than Russia.

Common Pitfalls:
Examinees may quickly choose Russia or Iran because they associate those states with tight control over information and media. Others may overthink and choose India due to familiarity, even though the description does not fit Indian policies. To avoid these mistakes, match the unique combination of technology scale, government supervision and a clear plan for a state encyclopaedia with the country whose internet ecosystem is already heavily domestic, namely China.

Final Answer:
The country that planned to introduce its own encyclopaedia by 2018 is China.