Developing: Bridge Collapses Near Seattle…Unknown Injuries…See the Photos

Watch Today’s BlazeCast With Your Questions, Comments & Live Chat!

Crime

Police State: China Tightens Control Over Speech, ‘Public Opinion’

Dec. 30, 2012 12:46pm Becket Adams

Chinese paramilitary police (Getty Images)

BEIJING (TheBlaze/AP) — China’s government tightened Internet controls Friday with approval of a law that requires users to register their names after a flood of online complaints about official abuses rattled Communist Party leaders.

Authorities say the law will strengthen protections for personal information. But it also is likely to curtail the Internet’s status as a forum to criticize the government or publicize corruption.

“Their intention is very clear: It is to take back that bit of space for public opinion, that freedom of speech hundreds of millions of Chinese Internet users have strived for,” said Murong Xuecun, a prominent Chinese writer.

The rules approved by China’s national legislature highlight the chronic tension between the ruling Communist Party’s desire to reap technology’s benefits and its insistence on controlling information.

Beijing encourages Web use for business and education but tries to block material deemed subversive or obscene. It has steadily stepped up censorship, especially after social media played a role in protests that brought down governments in Egypt and Tunisia.

China’s People’s Liberation Army marches in Beijing. (Photograph: Chinafotopress/Getty Images)

The latest measure requires users to provide their real names and other identifying information when they register with access providers or post information publicly.

“This is needed for the healthy development of the Internet,” said Li Fei, deputy director of the legislature’s Legal Work Committee, at a news conference.

Li rejected complaints that the public will be deprived of a forum that has been used to expose misconduct.

“The country’s constitution protects citizens’ rights in supervising and criticizing the state and government officials’ behavior,” Li said.

The measure comes amid reports that Beijing might be disrupting use of software that allows Web surfers to see sites abroad that are blocked by its extensive filters.

At the same time, regulators have proposed rules that would bar foreign companies from distributing books, news, music and other material online in China.

Chinese riot police. (Andrew Wong/Getty Images)

The government has given no indication how it will deal with the technical challenge of registering the more than 500 million Chinese who use the Internet.

Microblog operators, two of which say they have more than 300 million users each, were ordered last year to confirm the identities of users but acknowledge they have yet to complete that task.

The main ruling party newspaper, People’s Daily, has called weeks for tighter Internet controls, saying rumors spread online have harmed the public.

The secretive ruling party is uneasy about the public’s eagerness to discuss politics and sensitive issues online despite threats of punishment.

In March, authorities scrambled to squelch online rumors about a possible coup amid a political crisis that led to the downfall of a prominent party figure, Bo Xilai, ahead of the party’s fall leadership transition. A dozen websites were closed and six people detained.

This week, 70 prominent Chinese scholars and lawyers circulated an online petition this week appealing for free speech, independent courts and for the ruling party to encourage private enterprise.

Chinese paramilitary police, wearing their hats upside down, undergo a drill to prepare for the National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing. (AFP/Getty Images)

Communist leaders who see the Internet as a promising source of economic growth were slow to enforce the same level of control they impose on movies, books and other media, apparently for fear of hurting e-commerce and other fledgling online businesses.

Until recently, Web surfers could post anonymous comments online or on microblogs.

That gave ordinary Chinese a unique opportunity to express themselves to a public audience in a society where newspapers, television and other media all are state-controlled. Some of the most popular microbloggers have millions of readers.

It also made the Internet a clearinghouse for accusations of official misconduct.

A local party official in China’s southwest was fired in November after scenes from a videotape of him having sex with a young woman spread quickly on websites.

Web surfers can circumvent filters by using virtual private networks – encryption software that is used by companies for financial data and other sensitive information. But VPN users say disruptions began in 2011 and are increasing, suggesting regulators are trying to block encrypted traffic.

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

Featured image courtesy Getty Images.

Benghazi, IRS, AP...What's next? Only TheBlaze TV offers the truth from Glenn Beck, Andrew Wilkow, and Real News from TheBlaze. Get instant access and a free trial here.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (77)

hi-polymer
Posted on December 31, 2012 at 1:44am
“The country’s constitution protects citizens’ rights in supervising and criticizing the state and government officials’ behavior,” Li said.

That would be the right to a bullet in the back of the head.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Becks_Art_Obama_In_PeePee
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 10:52pm
“Police State: China Tightens Control Over Speech, ‘Public Opinion’”

You mean “Communist China”.
Think it … it’s Communist China. Write it … it’s Communist China. Speak it …
IT’S COMMUNIST CHINA !!

You mean “Communist China slaves”.
Think it … it’s Communist China slaves. Write it … it’s Communist China slaves. Speak it …
IT’S COMMUNIST CHINA SLAVES !!

BTW, it states “China” … but you know it’s really “U.S.A.” with that “Police State” title.
Lock’n'load people! http://www.locknloadtactical.com/

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
zoro51
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 10:43pm
i swear ****** have NO clue they think thier citizens are ROBOTS.. news for u CHAIRMAN PING PONG the tighter your grip the more FREEDOM will slip thru n BITE YOUR BONEY ASS

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
waspanglosaxon
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 10:30pm
Maybe Red China should import their own version of the inappropriately named ‘Southern Poverty Law Center’, then they’d really be able to stifle free speech!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
florida123
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 9:55pm
I think the billion chinese need to follow the arab spring and squash the Commie POS

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
FlamingFartSyndrome
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 9:02pm
We’re next

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- TeslanEdison
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 10:18pm
  Um yeah, being the country that contains the inventors of the internet, I can assure you there are thousands of possible ways to undetectably communicate via the internet, if not the cable connected networks, microwave relays to secret remote shortwave encrypted broadcast sites. Yes you can actually connect to the internet over shortwave in a limited manner. Post EMP that would be about the only way you could get a network up, since most of the server centers would be down. I’m sure the favored method in China is to hide your info in a government traffic wrapper, pick something they find “secure” then engineer your communications to match the more mundane and the less used the better. You would then have to gate your traffic so that it doesn’t indicate any increase in total traffic.
  Totalitarianism is stupid expensive, and ineffective, give everyone perceivable freedom and believable anonymity, let them have democratic this or that, so long as they are comfortable and have what they want you can do whatever you desire and use your networks in secret to cover up things. China could totally do an Obama, with a peoples candidate that was elected in a fraud filled no voter ID election and the people would be chanting YAY, but the government would be the same just cheaper to run without all those totalitarian tools trying to battle this and that. The goal is stay in power make Billions and trillions and pacify the people it’s way easier than the Chinese hacks are doing it.
  
  Report this comment
- GuruMeditation
  Posted on December 31, 2012 at 8:36am
  Next? It’s already happening here.
  
  Report this comment
noslave
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 6:21pm
hopefully we can impeach obama and his crew for murders in bengazi?? otherwise grab your ankles obamas on a roll??with all the crooked crap &arrogance hes got to screw up??and not get away with it??oh i forgot hes a democrat.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Arshloch
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:33pm
Obama,obumer, obumer, Mao tse obumer. Our turn is coming, the only difference is China eats soy sauce while the whitehouse dines on salsa.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
FreeUsAll
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:08pm
It is much easier, out of a sense of bias akin to nationalism and nostalgia, to point a finger at another country and accuse them of horrible things, meanwhile never notice the stench coming from our side of the pond. We are a police state, but to say that is treason… Wake up, America!

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- HKS
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:22pm
  Could they be following Obama’s lead?
  
  Report this comment
- BBEV
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:29pm
  It will be tried here you can bet on it.
  
  Report this comment
- The_Cabrito_Goat
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:33pm
  Other way around, HKS.
  
  America looks to Europe, who looks to China, while China reads “the little red book” by Mao.
  
  Report this comment
barber2
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:05pm
I remember in the 80s when the ” valley girl” group speech hit. Remember hearing how all of the young people sounded the Same ? Befinning of the young robot, parrot generation. These are the same media brainwashed , Stepford Trolls who voted in Obama II. Clueless and naive. Tolls of the Chicago radicals.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:20pm
  Sort of explains how SENDTHEMETEORS grew up. Except I don’t believe that avatar is a pic of female. More of an effeminate male. Pulled it down to enlarge it. Explains a lot about his/her hatred that is displayed for about four hours per night.
  
  Report this comment
RepubliCorp
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:48pm
Obamacare will be a big leap to this end………

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- dissentnow
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:09pm
  Actually, the patriot act and the NDAA will have far more to do with getting us there than Obamacare will but Obamacare doesn’t help, either.
  
  Quick show of hands: Who, here, supported the patriot act?
  Those of you who did are just as guilty as Obama and his supporters
  
  Report this comment
65Mustang
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:47pm
Obama is chomping at the bit to lead America down the communist, Chinese path. I wish I could say he is delusional, but with his hordes of idiotic, low-info, celebrity voters his work–his dream of domination, will be accomplished.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
afishfarted
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:43pm
We’ve been heading that way ourselves. First was can use hate speech. Now, Facebook bans Ghandi’s quote about England’s darkest moment by prohibiting an entire nation the right to arms. Orwellean

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Rob
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:43pm
Soon they will take away the people’s guns….oh, wait.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- GuruMeditation
  Posted on December 31, 2012 at 8:37am
  In may cases they will not be able to take the peoples guns… just the people.
  
  Report this comment
whatthecrazy
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:39pm
Sillies, they have thier hats on upside down.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Eastinfection
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:26pm
  Rally-Caps!
  
  “We ah wan pitcher”
  “We ah no-wan Berry-itcher”
  
  Report this comment
RIGS
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:28pm
If the LIBERAL MARXIST DEMOCRAPS could have it here they would in rice noodle minute.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- The_Jerk
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:41pm
  “Police State: China Tightens Control Over Speech, ‘Public Opinion’”
  
  Someone needs to tell the fool, Jeff Immelt, that’s why China is soooo efficient. He should move there, rather than make us like it… and under the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Obama run, we’re not far.
  
  Report this comment
- barber2
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:56pm
  Jerk: You always run the ” all American leaders/ parties are the same.”. So, who would you want to lead us? What form of government are you advocating ? My guess is anarchy…..
  
  Report this comment
- The_Jerk
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:15pm
  Barber2, a limited constitutional republic. As to who, that’s a tough one. People will cringe when I say this, and I threw him overboard when he admittedly gave up some of our sovereignty during the NAFTA deal, but listening to his speech at the Reagan Library a few weeks ago… I think he’s changed. I don’t know the man’s heart, but he is saying the right things now.
  
  So, knowing that they are all whores, I’d take a second look at CFR Gingrich.
  
  Report this comment
stopprintn
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:28pm
Praise be to the Republic………circle sign

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Wojciech W.
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:47pm
  Ahh to be 21 again lol. Since when is China restricting anything NEWS?
  
  Report this comment
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:26pm
Nationalism and Communism returning in full measure to China, just as Obama wants to do here.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- spirited
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:35pm
  ‘p c’ came first
  
  ‘hate crimes’ via Facebook & tweets came next
  
  >taxing internet purchases the newest guise
  
  Report this comment
- DadRocked
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:41pm
  Spirited – But remember that, “…it’s all for and about the children.”
  
  Report this comment
- RepubliCorp
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:43pm
  The good news is we can all dress alike…… talk alike…… act alike
  
  Report this comment
- woodyee
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:10pm
  @DadRocked –
  
  It USED to be “for the children”. Now the catch-word is “sensible”.
  
  Report this comment
- DadRocked
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:17pm
  woodyee – “Now the catch-word is “sensible”.”
  Stole it from the ‘ol repub’s playbook did they now?
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:25pm
  WOODYEE, I agree that it always used to be “for the children” to the point that it was as Miss Chrissy would call a dog whistle code word. But, I hear more “Its the right thing to do” these days more than any other phrases coming from 0bama.
  
  Report this comment
forthepeople
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:23pm
Luckily for the Chinese People the ‘ Can of Worms ‘ is already been opened and the have seen , tasted and felt a little freedom .For this very simple Human feeling / reason ( A God Given Right ) no amount of laws or leader’s will ever get it back in the box .
Signed China’s Humpty Dumpty ” help me I have fallen and can’t get back up “

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
civilwarcometh
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:17pm
Why did the blaze take my post down? They have the same rules as China????

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- GuruMeditation
  Posted on December 31, 2012 at 8:40am
  Sometimes.
  
  Report this comment
TIMEBOMB
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:16pm
My comrades the Chinese are industrious and I’ve learned a lot from them,I will institute many of their policies here as well. The bill of rights and the constitution are on life support and I will happily euthanize both of them. Since you Americans are so stupid you’ll stand idly by while I trash your country and collapse your dollar,throw you into a depression where you belong and establish my caliphate here in America.My drones will pound you into submission and the few remaining fools with firearms will be easily eliminated by my civilian army.Ahhh it’s a new day in America because America is dead and I killed it,with your help of course.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- civilwarcometh
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:22pm
  Can’t believe they took my post down but let you run rampant on hear….
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:48pm
  @civilwarcometh
  
  Was it deleted or did it never show up? There is a big difference.
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:53pm
  CIVILWARCOMETH, missed your post, but don’t worry much about TIMEBOMB. Whoever this is, he is just mocking 0bama as I see it. Rather well at that and quite funny too.
  
  Report this comment
- civilwarcometh
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:58pm
  The monk they took it down i was first to post here. Sad….It was up for about 5 min.
  
  Report this comment
- DadRocked
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:58pm
  Monk – It showed right after the article posted… It was there when I wrote mine the disappeared… I thought that Cival had retracted it…
  
  Report this comment
- DadRocked
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:00pm
  Monk – It had said what he reposted below and if I remember correctly it was verbatum…
  “Why should we care what communist do to other communist?”
  
  Report this comment
- civilwarcometh
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:02pm
  I hear you RJJ i just can’t stand to hear or see Obama lol….They get mad at me hear for some reason. I was Islamhater then UNhater. Wonder how long this one will last lol. It’s all good have a happy new year…You to Monk…
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:14pm
  CIVILWARCOMETH, LOL, and thank you. As well I wish you and yours a Happy New Year.
  Hi MONK, I’m still working on those other things we said. Try and watch the next couple of nights….LOL, if I can keep my eyes open.
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:37pm
  Hi civilwarcometh and Dadrocked,
  
  Thanks for replying. Well, I certainly don’t see anything wrong with that. Have you tried reposting the same comment again. It could have just been a glitch. Here’s 2 more things. 1- if you reply to a post and IT gets deleted your post can also be deleted along with it. 2- if you have a post that NEVER gets posted look for words with these 3 letters in a row and use spaces or dashes… c-u-m as in doc-u-ment or inc-u-mbent. It’s aslo a glitch that they cannot fix. I hope this helps. : )
  
  Report this comment
- 1776freedomofspeech
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:41pm
  @Civil
  
  I saw the post. They took it down.
  
  Report this comment
- Eastinfection
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:53pm
  Hey guys…
  
  I also want to add that there is a human element here, and sometimes they just accidentally take down the wrong post when they intend to kill a different one. Remember that one thread, MONK, when all of our posts kept appearing, and then disappearing, and then reappearing again? In different orders? lol- THAT was the best (not)! Wish i could remember which one it was.
  
  Report this comment
- Eastinfection
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 3:00pm
  found it….
  
  check out the first 30 or so posts from this page if you want to know how chaotic 1 mistake by the moderator can get:
  
  http://www.theblaze.com/stories/unique-all-inclusive-pope-benedict-xvi-appoints-6-new-cardinals-from-around-the-world-to-help-choose-successor/
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 3:17pm
  Hi East,
  
  I remember that one. They deleted a post and all the replies to it. Then they tried to put the replies back and they went all over the place. Makes Life interesting sometimes.
  
  Now, if I could only make some people disappear and then reappear someplace else. : )
  
  Report this comment
- Eastinfection
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 3:29pm
  Hey MONK…
  
  lol… think you’re gonna need the CIA or the Clintons for that request ;)
  
  Report this comment
dissentnow
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:15pm
This is what we have to look forward to.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- DadRocked
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:17pm
  See below…
  
  Report this comment
1776freedomofspeech
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:12pm
I just saw the Senate session beginning and they said a prayer before the beginning of the session. I just wanted to point that out. In China you are not allowed to pray in public, let alone in the “session” that the Communist use to do their state business.

All of you who are Blazers are great Americans, and those of you who are Trolls have the potential to become great Americans. Just like Democrats always grow up to become Republicans.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
All Pro
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:10pm
If the Chinese had the right to bear arms……………………………………………………..

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- civilwarcometh
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:26pm
  How many billions of people live their? You really think they couldn’t over run that place if they really wanted to? Why should we care what communist do to other communist?
  
  Report this comment
- spirited
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:39pm
  It is contagious…. air-born.
  
  >As in: thoughts out of (planned) thin air.
  
  Report this comment
- TSUNAMI_22
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:39pm
  @ civilwarcometh
  
  It isn’t the physicality of number preventing the public from taking their country back, it’s the government mind-control over them that saps their motivation to do so………..just like here in Amerika.
  
  The difference, is that Americans still have the choice as long as they remain armed. Comply with the unjust an immoral laws being crafted to disarm us and we we stand to lose more than just our guns.
  
  Report this comment
- civilwarcometh
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:56pm
  @TSUN.: They have eyes and ears and no very well what the rest of the world look’s like. Yet they choose to be ruled your arguement may have been relavent 50 years ago but not today they know who is in charge and they choose to support it….When they stand up for freedom i will stand right along with them but untill they do they get what they deserve…..
  
  Report this comment
- TSUNAMI_22
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:05pm
  @ civilwarcometh
  
  You’ll have a chance to put your money where your mouth is shortly, because it’s here….now, in Amerika. We have eyes and ears and WE also know what the rest of the world looks like.
  
  The predominate direction isn’t towards freedom and prosperity, it 180 degrees from that end.
  
  Report this comment
- civilwarcometh
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 2:22pm
  Right you are TSUN. It is hear and some of us are lucky enough to see it and hear it. Good luck to you and your family when it comes crashing down. Hope all on hear survive what may very well be heading our way. It’s all good not everyone agrees on everything but we can all agree our country is in very very bad shape. Just hope we american loveing people can find common ground and come together before it’s to late…
  
  Report this comment
DadRocked
Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:04pm
For the heck of it, I copied the article and pasted to MSWord… Only changed the word China for Obama… What I found has some scary similarities… Here it is:

Police State: Obama Tightens Control Over Speech, ‘Public Opinion’

BEIJING (TheBlaze/AP) — Obama’s government tightened Internet controls Friday with approval of a law that requires users to register their names after a flood of online complaints about official abuses rattled Communist Party leaders.

Authorities say the law will strengthen protections for personal information. But it also is likely to curtail the Internet’s status as a forum to criticize the government or publicize corruption.

“Their intention is very clear: It is to take back that bit of space for public opinion, that freedom of speech hundreds of millions of Chinese Internet users have strived for,” said Murong Xuecun, a prominent Chinese writer.

The rules approved by Obama’s national legislature highlight the chronic tension between the ruling Communist Party’s desire to reap technology’s benefits and its insistence on controlling information.

Beijing encourages Web use for business and education but tries to block material deemed subversive or obscene. It has steadily stepped up censorship, especially after social media played a role in protests that brought down governments in Egypt and Tunisia.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- DadRocked
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:07pm
  -cont’d-
  
  Obama’s People’s Liberation Army marches in Beijing.
  
  The latest measure requires users to provide their real names and other identifying information when they register with access providers or post information publicly.
  
  “This is needed for the healthy development of the Internet,” said Li Fei, deputy director of the legislature’s Legal Work Committee, at a news conference.
  
  Li rejected complaints that the public will be deprived of a forum that has been used to expose misconduct.
  
  Report this comment
- DadRocked
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:13pm
  Now only change Chinese to American… to make the point I should have but it was an afterthought…
  
  Report this comment
- Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:27pm
  Coming to America.
  
  Report this comment
- DadRocked
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 1:34pm
  Spooky and feasible isn’t it Snow?
  This is said that at times I’ll see articles like this and interchange the country and leadership’s name…
  
  Never thought that I would see this day come… I was NEVER of this mindset when whomever has been in the national/political spotlight…
  
  The bright side is that I KNOW that I am not alone…
  
  Report this comment
- Eastinfection
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 3:06pm
  Do it, again, DADROCK…..
  
  This time swap “Communist” for “Democrat” or “Progressive”.
  
  Report this comment
- DadRocked
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 6:39pm
  Eastinfection – When living on the Gulf in FLA, SSDD – “This time swap “Communist” for “Democrat” or “Progressive”.
  This is so spooky… Same stoy but different continents…
  
  Report this comment
- GuruMeditation
  Posted on December 31, 2012 at 8:38am
  @Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}: Rather: Already here.
  
  Report this comment

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.