From AP, via Sydney Morning Herald:
China is imposing new regulations to control content on its news websites, the Government said today, another step in efforts to police a rapidly expanding internet population.
The rules were issued by the Ministry of Information Industry and the State Council, China’s cabinet, to “standardise the management of news and information” in the country, the official Xinhua News Agency said. They take effect immediately, it said.
The report did not give any details on the regulations but said sites should only post news on current events and politics. It did not define what would be acceptable under those categories.
Only “healthy and civilised news and information that is beneficial to the improvement of the quality of the nation, beneficial to its economic development and conducive to social progress” will be allowed, Xinhua said.
“The sites are prohibited from spreading news and information that goes against state security and public interest.”