Internet users in China have been given an unprecedented opportunity to express public opinion on the formation of official government policy.

Internet usage in China is rapidly expanding

A new website (http://dp.cei.gov.cn/), set up by the State Development Planning Commission invites users to post their views on the drafting of the country's next five year economic plan.

Before entering the site, users have to indicate their acceptance of certain conditions, including a promise not to express views that threaten national security - China's usual way of describing any kind of anti-government opinion.

Automatic publishing

Remarkably, postings are made publicly accessible automatically, which means that at least until the website administrators notice anything untoward, any comment can be published.

Lin Hai: Internet trial defendant

But the Chinese Government is sending out mixed signals about its attitude towards the country's rapidly expanding use of the Internet.

In a case seen as an attempt to curb the use of this new medium by political dissidents, a businessman has been put on trial in Shanghai for allegedly using the Net to incite the overthrow of the government.

Dissatisfaction

A few of the more than 80 postings in the week since the site was launched suggest strong dissatisfaction with the government.

One calls for free elections and freedom of speech. Another blames the spread of corruption on the political system.

Some messages praise the government for giving people a chance to comment on official policy through the website, with one saying it felt like a spring breeze.

Many of the messages use pseudonyms, and it's often impossible to tell whether they originate from within China.

But one official newspaper, the China Youth Daily, noted the spring breeze comment and described this use of the internet as a revolution in the way the Chinese government operates.

It said 1999 would be the year of the government going on the web.