China seeks to better control internet, government information

Apr 24, 2007, 11:35 GMT

Beijing - Chinese President Hu Jintao called Tuesday for stricter regulation of the rapidly developing internet to 'nurture a healthy online culture.'

'Whether we can cope with the Internet is a matter that affects the development of socialist culture, the security of information and the stability of the state,' Hu was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.

'We should spread more information that is in good taste, and promote online products that can represent the grand Chinese culture,' added Hu, who is also head of the Communist Party.

He added a day after a meeting of the party's Politburo that China's leaders should use online tools to strengthen Marxism.

Hu's comments came after the number of internet users in China jumped 23.4 per cent last year and as the government seeks to put controls and censor the free-wheeling web. Now, one in 10 Chinese surf the web for a total number of 137 million users.

At the same time, the government issued new regulations for the release of government information.

The State Council, China's cabinet, issued a decree that is to take effect May 1, 2008, three months before the start of the Olympic Games in Beijing. It said information released by the government 'should not cause social instability or threaten the safety of the state, the public and the economy.'

Prime Minister Wen Jiabao signed the degree, which called on government entities across China to release information on land acquisitions, residents' relocations and compensation in the deals, many of which have become contentious as people have complained they have been forced off their land to make way for development in return for inadequate compensation.

China has also been criticized for failing to release information on pollution, natural disasters and health issues like bird flu, but the new regulations said information on emergencies, environmental protection, public health issues, food and pharmaceutical safety and government spending is also to be released, but confidential business or personal information from government databases is not to be released without permission by the affected parties.