A majority of China's Internet-based media representatives have
called for strengthening self-discipline in order to ensure a
smooth and healthy ascent of the country's Web business, and to
facilitate information dissemination.
Chief executives from China's overseas-listed Internet firms,
and sector experts said at a seminar in Hainan that the fact that
China is home to 111 million Internet-hooked population, the
world's second largest after the United States, testifies to the
effective and benign policies, that benefits its rapid
development.
However, it remains an arduous task on their shoulders to
continue to oversee and ferret out "illegal and harmful"
information, typically obscene and pornographic content, that
poisons the young and vulnerable, especially the children.
Experts and sector representatives have expressed the hope that
the government should improve the legal framework to better guide
its progressive growth. They said that some self-governing rules by
the Internet firms on forbidding porn and illegal information have
been well-received by the public.
Li Jiaming, director general of China Reporting Center of
Illegal and Unhealthy Information, said his organ has received more
than 240,000 reports from the public complaining illicit or
irregular Internet-related content and acts, since its launch in
June 2004. Of the total clues reported, 68.2 percent are porn
related, and 8.15 percent about Web gambling and fraudulence.
Li said that the sole search for profits while neglecting the
"social merits" of the long-cherished Chinese culture is
despicable. The increasing requirements from the public for
regulating the sector manifest that those illicit Internet
activities must be brought under scrutiny.
Some website representatives said a responsible Internet outlet
must implement self-discipline, always bear in heart the ultimate
interests of the public and the state, and win the support of the
netizens through providing high-quality content.
During the meeting, an experts group concerning Internet legal
and moral education was set up, led by Professor Xiong Chengyu of
the Tsinghua University. The Internet Information Service
Commission has 171 members.
(China.org.cn February 25, 2006)