BBC News Online: World: Asia-Pacific

China moves to control internet

Under the new law, passed on Thursday by the National People's Congress (NPC), China's parliament, subversive activities over the internet are a crime.

"Using the internet to... incite the overthrow of state power, topple the socialist system or... destroy national unity" constituted as crimes, the People's Daily newspaper reported.

Other activities on the internet deemed as crimes are:

• breaking into networks concerned with national affairs, defence and advanced technology
• creating and disseminating computer viruses
• promoting Taiwan's independence
• organising "cults"
• establishing pornographic websites and providing links to such websites
• spreading rumours to manipulate stock prices
• tampering with personal e-mails

Several articles of the resolution are similar to existing laws used to imprison dissidents, ethnic separatists and members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual group.

Websites gagged

The legislation was seen as the latest attempt by the authorities to control content and use of the internet, which has seen explosive growth - the number of users doubled in the first eight months of this year to 16.9 million.

Official task forces have shut down some websites deemed "subversive" and have previously tried to block access to foreign websites deemed undesirable - including the BBC, Yahoo! and CNN.

Websites publishing news currently have to seek approval from a state information office.

Last month, China moved to gag dissent in internet chatrooms, where users have been increasingly bold in their criticism of government policy.

It launched regulations that made websites responsible for ensuring that users do not post messages deemed "illegal" - that is, anything against the constitution or that "harms China's honour and interests".

China has also detained several people for activities over the internet.

China's Ministry of Public Security said 1,000 internet crimes were reported in the first six months of this year, the same number as throughout the whole of 1999.