China's Xi says internet control key to stability
China's Xi says internet control key to stability
Reuters • April 21, 2018
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China must strengthen its grip on
the internet to ensure broader social and economic goals are met, state news
agency Xinhua reported on Saturday citing comments from President Xi Jinping,
underlining a hardening attitude towards online content.
Under Xi's rule China has increasingly tightened its grip
on the internet, concerned about losing influence and control over a younger
generation who are driving a diverse and vibrant online culture from
livestreaming to blogs.
"Without web security there's no national security,
there's no economic and social stability, and it's difficult to ensure the
interests of the broader masses," Xinhua cited Xi as saying.
"We cannot let the internet become a platform for
disseminating harmful information and stirring up trouble with rumours,"
he added in comments made at a cyber security conference in Beijing, Xinhua
said.
Chinese regulators have been driving a sweeping crackdown
on media content, which has been gaining force since last year, spreading a
chill among content makers and distributors.
China is also looking to take a leading role globally in
internet regulation and technology more broadly, which has come into sharp
focus amid a trade standoff with the United States and an arms race over
technology.
The United States banned sales of parts and software to
Chinese telecoms equipment maker ZTE earlier this week, which the Chinese firm
said on Friday threatened its survival. ZTE uses U.S. chips in many of its
smartphones.
The ZTE case had "triggered a heated debate" in
China about advanced technology, Xinhua said in a separate report on Saturday,
adding mastering high-end technologies such as chips was "key" to
becoming a strong nation.
Luo Wen, China's deputy industry minister, said while
China had made progress in advance manufacturing in areas like electric
vehicles and aviation, it was still facing challenges due to a lack of top talent
and global scale, Xinhua said.
"Our advanced manufacturing development faces the
risk of being boxed in at the low-end," Xinhua reported, citing Luo.
(Reporting by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Ros Russell)
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