The call by the Communist Party comes in the wake of a Chinese police shutdown of a pro-democracy website run by a group of dissidents within the country. The Communist Party said the internet was an important battleground to sway public opinion. Many Chinese media organisations have set up websites, including the Communist Party newspaper, the People's Daily.
China is keen to capitalise on the internet's economic and propaganda potential.
But it is nervous that the internet will expose Chinese people to anti-government information. There has been an explosive growth of the internet in China, with the number of users doubling every six months to nearly 15 million in June. Net police Earlier this week the government expressed confidence in its ability to police the internet for subversive or pornographic content. Local media announced an internet police force would be set up central Anhui province, to be followed by similar forces in 20 other provinces. The authorities often block websites considered subversive or undersirable, including those of western media organisations, human rights groups and Tibetans.