As Internet security has become an increasing concern for the Chinese government, the MPS is expected to gain increasingly greater influence. In a sense, the MPS is China's System Administrator and controls which sites operate and how they operate. Advertising in China is regulated, too. Prior to this statement, whether online advertising was allowed, prohibited, or indeed if China even had an official policy on the matter was a mystery. China's independent Web sites rely heavily on traditional media as a source of information.
Traditional media are upset that they are being challenged as the only news source.
Since April, these organizations, led by The People's Daily , China's official paper, have taken a few steps, including forming a consortium with over 40 traditional print media organizations, to publicly denounce online content providers for piracy and to call for legal action against them. They may even demand that they be more heavily censored. Yes, pursuant to the request of the MII, PRC government agencies are working to establish a Web presence before the year 2000, but it's also become increasingly obvious that a number of Chinese agencies and bureaus will help regulate China's Internet operations. Foreigners must remember that the ultimate power over the future of China's Internet Policy isn't with the MII alone. Other equally influential regulatory agencies will soon have roles to play, and if an IT company is to enter China, substantive involvement with one of China's local players is essential.