Posted on 01/24/2007 2:27:42 PM PST by NormsRevenge
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Communist Party chief Hu Jintao has vowed to "purify" the Internet, state media reported on Wednesday, describing a top-level meeting that discussed ways to master the country's sprawling, unruly online population.
Hu made the comments as the ruling party's Politburo -- its 24-member leading council -- was studying China's Internet, which claimed 137 million registered users at the end of 2006.
Hu, a strait-laced communist with little sympathy for cultural relaxation, did not directly mention censorship.
But he made it clear that the Communist Party was looking to ensure it keeps control of China's Internet users, often more interested in salacious pictures, bloodthirsty games and political scandal than Marxist lessons.
The party had to "strengthen administration and development of our country's Internet culture", Hu told the meeting on Tuesday, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
"Maintain the initiative in opinion on the Internet and raise the level of guidance online," he said. "We must promote civilized running and use of the Internet and purify the Internet environment."
In 2006, China's Internet users grew by 26 million, or 23.4 percent, year on year, to reach 10.5 percent of the total population, the China Internet Network Information Center said on Tuesday.
The vast majority of those users have no access to overseas Chinese Web sites offering uncensored opinion and news critical of the ruling party. But even in heavily monitored China, news of official misdeeds and dissident opinion has been able to travel through online bulletin boards and blogs.
Hu told officials to intensify control even as they seek to release the Internet's economic potential. "Ensure that one hand grasps development while one hand grasps administration," he said.
Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) listens to explanations of computer technology while visiting Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, April 18, 2006. Hu has vowed to "purify" the Internet, state media reported on Wednesday, describing a top-level meeting that discussed ways to master the country's sprawling, unruly online population.
But has he discussed this with Gore?
Communist china = totalitarian brain washed foaming at the mouth nationalist drones. Thought police of the highest order. This is a direct threat to democracy.
I bet 'Banned or Suspended' has a whole different meaning in CHina.;-)
What do you bet his computer is full of porn.....?
Chinese commies suck.
What? What? This guy is talking about purifying the Internet?????
LOL...good luck with that!
Is this what prompted it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=netQl4xnIio
He should read some of the spam I get!
Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahaha!
Whats funny is on some of the pro china forums(sinodefence.com,centurychina.com/plaboard/,yes I post there and torment the brainwashed insects) they support this garbage and dont care about not voting on their leader. Guess they are content being the drones of the communist party.Sad really that people are so brainwashed and backward.
Who?
Hu.
yeah. we had two chinese nationals in my grad school program that were vehement about all these thorny issues china likes to talk about - taiwan (don't get involved in our internal affairs), freedom (we have freedom, what are you talking about?), economic vs. political freedom (we can live in a productive society without transforming into an 'irresponsible' society).
this one chic was like a broken record.
The Chinese government sure showed their talent for "purifying" in June 1989.
That's what I'm trying to find out.
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