|
The Chinese government will clamp down on mapping websites and other
online geographical information that it fears might undermine
national security, state media reported Thursday.
Eight government agencies, including the foreign
ministry, are to tighten supervision of geographical information
available online, the official China Daily reported.
There are nearly 10,000 online map websites in
China and authorities will close down most of them as they show maps
without approval, said Min Yiren, deputy director with the State
Bureau of Surveying and Mapping.
"Some websites publish sensitive or
confidential geographical information, which might leak state
secrets and threaten security," Min said.
A hotline has been set up for the public to
report illegal websites, he said.
The campaign will also target websites labelling
Taiwan as a separate country, according to Min.
Taiwan and China have been ruled separately
since the end of a civil war in 1949, but Beijing still considers
the island part of its territory and insists on reunification.
China previously ordered foreigners who engage
in surveying and mapping to obtain approval from the government and
accept supervision.
The mapping bureau said earlier that foreigners
who illegally survey, gather and publish geographical information on
China will be "severely punished".
Chinese partners or translators will also be
fined if they fail to stop illegal mapping activities as soon as
they find out about them, it said.
-- AFP
|
