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.
Domestic sites operate considerable self-censorship.
The New Culture Forum, described as being openly in favour of democracy, was closed down last week. Police are still hunting for the site's operators, dissidents from Shadong Province. The Paris-based group Reporters Without Borders protested against the site's closure, warning that its webmasters were now facing heavy jail terms. In June, China arrested a man, Huang Qi, who launched China's first human rights website. Another man, Lin Hai, was jailed last year for providing information to a US-based dissident website.