CHINA:Chinese president Hu Jintao has vowed to "purify the internet". He disclosed his intention in a major article on the front page of the Communist Party newspaper, the People's Daily, following a meeting of the politburo to discuss ways of keeping the web community in check.
According to data from a government think-tank this week, China's internet users grew by 26 million, or 23.4 per cent, year on year, to reach 10.5 per cent of the total population. With such a huge number of users and such amazing penetration, the government fears the internet as a potential source of social unrest.
"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," Mr Hu said.
It's a chilling statement that will send ripples of fear among the growing legion of web dissidents and activists who have used the internet to help spread their messages.
The Chinese government promotes internet use for education and business, but tries to block its public from seeing material online that is deemed subversive or pornographic.
At a study session of the politburo, President Hu called on cadres to "actively and creatively nurture a healthy online culture" that meets public demand.
"Maintain the initiative in opinion on the internet and raise the level of guidance online. We must promote the civilised running and use of the internet and purify the internet environment," he said, without directly mentioning censorship.
Most of the 137 million "webizens" are blocked from accessing overseas Chinese sites, which run potentially seditious material as far as the Communists are concerned, but some dissident opinion does make it past the "Great Firewall" of China. There were also 21 million "bloggers" in China last year, of whom 3.15 million are active authors.
The increase in the number of "bloggers" is a source of some dismay for the government, which is trying to supervise them to stop sedition creeping in to the postings.
President Hu stressed that the Communist Party was keen for more ideological content on the web. However, he urged officials to intensify control at the same time as they seek to exploit the internet's economic potential.
"Ensure that one hand grasps development, while one hand grasps administration," he said.