Chinese official says Internet security a global problem

  A senior Chinese information official said China firmly opposed cyber attacks and called on all countries to work together to ensure Internet security, according to Thursday's People's Daily, a leading Chinese newspaper.

  "China's Internet is open to the world.... China is a victim of and firmly opposes cyber attacks," he said, noting the number of overseas cyber attacks on Chinese mainland websites in 2008 had increased by 148 percent over the previous year.

  He also noted that in the recent nationwide crackdown on the spread of pornography via the Internet and mobile phones, the China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Center had received 80,000 reports about websites containing obscenity on the Internet and mobile WAP sites. It was found that the "majority" of them were from foreign countries or websites with servers based in foreign countries.

  He said all countries should "take active and effective measures to strengthen management of the Internet and make sure their problems do not affect other countries' cyber order."

  Wang said the government will keep to invite the public to help supervise the Internet, and shut down illegal websites once found so as to create a favorable environment for the healthy development of minors.

  He called on relevant departments to ensure that information flow on the Internet is smooth and timely, and secure and orderly in the meantime.