China military has new website to report leaks

This article is more than 12 months old

Nov 20, 2017 06:00 am

BEIJING China's military yesterday launched a website inviting the public to report leaks and fake news as well as illegal online activities by military personnel, the latest step in a push to ensure the Communist Party's control over the Internet.

Beijing has been ramping up measures to secure the Internet and maintain strict censorship, a process that accelerated ahead of the party's National Congress last month.

The new website is an effort to implement the guiding spirit of the Congress and will help maintain a "clear Internet space" surrounding the military, according to www.81.cn, its official news portal.

Citizens are encouraged to use the platform to report online content that attacks the military's absolute leadership and distorts the history of the military and the ruling Communist Party, the website said.

Cases of military personnel illegally opening online social accounts and publishing unauthorised information should also be reported, it said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has made China's "cyber sovereignty" a top priority in his sweeping campaign to bolster security.