Cyberspace regulator meets the press
(China.org.cn)
Updated: 2006-02-17 19:45

Lianhe Zaobao: As Mr. Liu has just said and emphasized, no one has been arrested in China simply because he or she said something on the Internet, and the government adopts explicit lawful management over Internet affairs. May I ask a question that if illegal activities did take place on some websites, for example, if they published some illegal comments, what would the Internet Affairs Bureau and the Public Security Ministry do? Till now, how many websites have been penalized for such occurrences and what are the penalties? Another question, you have said that blogs and personal websites are also subject to relevant approval procedures if they want to release news-like information. How many blogs or personal websites have applied for approval? And what did the authorities do about the websites that might have released news comments without having first gone through the required formalities?

Liu: Reports from the public are the main way we deal with illegal and harmful information. As I have just introduced, the China Reporting Center of Illegal and Unhealthy Information has received 235,000 tip-offs from the public since it was set up in June 2004. A part of those tip-offs can be dealt with directly by related websites because there is a system through which the websites can receive such reports immediately. The rest are passed on to relevant government departments and those governmental departments are responsible for informing related websites that they are to delete the illegal and harmful information on their websites. It is called the "Notification-Deletion" mechanism, and is also an international practice.

Referring to the question about blogs and personal websites carrying news, I hope you can be clear about one thing and that is that not all the news released needs a permit. Those which need permission are information related to politics, economy, military and foreign affairs, since such news is closely linked to the public interest. The prerequisites to providing Internet information services are stipulated by the Regulations on Management of Online News Services. I can give you the related materials after this press conference.

Penalties imposed on websites carrying illegal and harmful information have been lenient in China. Under ordinary circumstances, ordering the deletion of the information has been enough. No website has been shut down as a result.

China News Service: In your introduction you said that China's Internet industry has drawn on the experience of other countries, and China set up an industry organization as well as an Internet society. Could you please give some examples of how the Internet self-regulating organization would deal with problems?

Liu:The major aim of setting up Internet trade organizations is not to deal with problems on the Internet. It is to facilitate the industry's development and to contribute to exchange and cooperation. These Internet trade organizations have drawn up some pledges and performance specifications. One important aim is to prevent vicious competition within the industry. As to the problems facing the industry, the industry's representatives are working together for solutions. The self-discipline concept has achieved good results, at least in three aspects. First, unlike before, the industry now has its own standards. Second, there is room for industry players to communicate and discuss with one another. Third, these players can collate the industry's opinions and proposals and make representations to government organs, which would help the government understand the industry better. Many problems confronting China's Internet industry have been resolved within the framework of industry self-discipline. As I know, the Internet Society of China organizes overseas research trips every year for members and related specialists to learn from overseas Internet organizations.