BEIJING (AFX) – China’s propaganda minders have tightened the rules on domestic Internet sites in an effort to curb ‘unhealthy news stories’ on the web, state press reported.
The new regulations were issued by the information office of the State Council, China’s cabinet, yesterday, the China Daily reported.
‘We need to better regulate the online news services with the emergence of so many unhealthy news stories that will easily mislead the public,’ a State Council spokesman was quoted as saying.
Bulletin board services and short messaging services that transmit news stories will also be subject to the new regulations, the report said.
Maybe online monsters Yahoo!, Microsoft and Google will have some comment about this, but don’t hold your breath if their previous actions are any indication.
UPDATE: Of course, this current visitor to China may hold the keys to freedom. He certainly knows how to find the seam. Quotations from Chairman Allen anyone?
You might also be interested in this little story.
It’s too little, too late. Their billions have already been corrupted by this revolution of information access and instant communication technology, and can never return to being properly docile peasants. They would have to kill or jail nearly every citizen, and I suspect that even if they escalate oppression it will just quicken their own end. Internet evaluated incidents have shown everyone, including the average Chinese person, how a well informed, well connected (communication-wise) local/regional/national/global community can successfully neutralize a malicious private agenda. Even if they shut everything down right now, the despots are probably still doomed.
Roger:
“We need to better regulate the online news services with the emergence of so many unhealthy news stories that will easily mislead the public”
Other then the power to do anything about it what is the difference between the Chinese government’s position on news via the net and Dan Rather’s opinion of the blogosphere?
That story’s a little chilling, chuck. It’s one reason everybody should be doing everything with SSH and strong encryption. Cyberwar is already being waged between China and Taiwan. How many of those bugs, viruses, worms, spyware on the typical Windows machine are actually the work of malign governments?? Even Burma has a sophisticated cyber-warfare division.
Excellent point, Kevin P. I think Kenneth is kidding himself. Not only will the free flow of information not take hold in China, it doesn’t even really exist here. The average American is now utterly convinced that Bush blew it in New Orleans.
Roger,
Rebecca MacKinnon has just posted a very good piece on this over at RConversation:
http://rconversation.blogs.com/rconversation/2005/09/china_fear_of_s.html
Generally, people living under totalitarian/authoritarian regimes are considerably more street-smart than those in democracies. I can’t speak for the Chinese, but can only imagine if these technologies had been available in the Soviet Union of the late 70s. Back then it was Voice of America and the highly refined art of “reading between the lines” in Pravda. For that reason I tend to lean towards Kenneth’s optimism.
Thousands of blogs should syndicate a daily or weekly news roundup with links. It would be harder for Beijing to block that. If the Chinese block codewords, use Chinese words as euphemisms for censored words. For example, “Confucius” could means “democracy.” If Chinese censors were to automatically block the codewords, they would have to block anything related to Chinese civilization.
PacRim Jim says…
“Thousands of blogs should syndicate a daily or weekly news roundup with links. It would be harder for Beijing to block that. If the Chinese block codewords, use Chinese words as euphemisms for censored words. For example, “Confucius” could means “democracy.” If Chinese censors were to automatically block the codewords, they would have to block anything related to Chinese civilization.”
Thinking the same thing! Insert Chairman Mao for ‘corrupt government’key word and not just blogs, but every single site, commercial or private, news or not, sales and bargains for those who would agree to get free flowing news to the oppressed masses of China. news flashes keyed with the words Mao, Communism, Peoples Republic, Shanghai, etc., in as many languages as possible, not just English or Chinese.
Once the information flow spiget is turned on, its impossible to turn it off. And if the Red Chinese government begins to lock down all outside information, they will be in desparate trouble. They will not survive a total lockdown.
Mmmph, In reality, boycotting of China for the Olympics is something to contemplate. They torture and imprison more people than Iran, North Korea and Syria put together. Not to mention their complicit support of the Sudanese and Iran governments. Yet the Olympics will be there? Reminds me of Jesse Owens and Hitler. Are we due for a repeat?
At the very least, there should be an informational plan for protest by tourist and chinese alike for all the world to see. What would happen if the atheletes from every country walked hand in hand with Chinese citizens for freedom? Another Bloody scene? We honestly do not know of all the horrors that have happened in China or are still occurring today.
Confucius say, one who buys pretty reflection in mirror, breaks soul into tiny pieces of lies.
Oh Mao, Mao, whyfore art thou? To kill a million like slaughtered cows? Millions more than the Holocaust unfortunately and sadly totally under reported by MSM – go figure.