Internet Manners and Culture Project Launched in Beijing

The Internet Manners and Culture Project, aiming at enhancing the healthy and regulated progress of China's Internet cause, was launched in Beijing Thursday, December 7, by the Ministry of Culture together with six other institutions.

Senior Chinese legislator Xu Jialu said at the opening ceremony that Chinese web surfers should forge a good habit to avoid harm by unhealthy contents from the start.

The launching of the Internet culture project and the www.imcp.org.cn are of vital importance in combining China's rich cultural heritage with modern technologies, said Xu, vice-chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

As all kinds of thoughts and cultures are appearing on the Internet amid the rapid development of the Internet cause in China, a good environment on establishing civilized web sites and visiting civilized contents is a heavy task, he said.

Yang Baosheng, vice-director of the Digital Communication Bureau of China Telecom, predicted at the launching ceremony that by the year 2005, the number of China's web users is expected to hit some 120 million and ranks among the Top Three in the world.

The construction of the Internet infrastructure and a good environment is becoming more and more important, he said.

Meanwhile, vice-minister of culture Ai Qingchun said a network survey conducted between late 1999 and early 2000 found that China's network behavior should be regulated in a healthy step.

"We hope the social mass can participate in setting up civilized websites and some good Chinese websites can lead the Internet Manners and Culture Project", he added.

The Internet Manners and Culture Project will organize a series of activities in the near future to help usher in a civilized Internet environment.

The project was co-organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, the All-China Federation of Students, China Telecom, China Mobile, the Guangming Daily and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.






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