China wants 'healthy' news only

BEIJING - China said Sunday it is imposing new regulations tocontrol content on its news Web sites and will allow the posting ofonly "healthy and civilized" news.

The move is part of China's ongoing efforts to police thecountry's 100-million Internet population. Only the United States,with 135 million users, has more.

The new rules take effect immediately and will "standardize themanagement of news and information" in the country, the officialXinhua News Agency said Sunday.

Sites should only post news on current events and politics,according to the new regulations issued by the Ministry ofInformation Industry and China's cabinet, the State Council. Thesubjects that would be acceptable under those categories was notclear.

Only "healthy and civilized news and information that isbeneficial to the improvement of the quality of the nation,beneficial to its economic development and conducive to socialprogress" will be allowed, Xinhua said.

"The sites are prohibited from spreading news and information thatgoes against state security and public interest," it added.

While the communist government encourages Internet use foreducation and business, it also blocks material it deems subversiveor pornographic. Online dissidents who post items critical of thegovernment, or those expressing opinions in chatrooms, are regularlyarrested and charged under vaguely worded state security laws.

Earlier this month, a French media watchdog group said e-mailaccount information provided by Internet powerhouse Yahoo Inc. helpedlead to the conviction and 10-year prison sentence of a Chinesejournalist who had written about media restrictions in an e-mail.

As part of the wider effort to curb potential dissent, thegovernment has also closed thousands of cybercafes.

- the main entry to the Web for many Chinese unable to afford acomputer at home.

Authorities in Shanghai have installed surveillance cameras andbegun requiring visitors to Internet cafes to register with theirofficial identity cards.

The government also recently threatened to shut down unregisteredWeb sites and blogs, the online diaries in which users post theirthoughts for others to read.