China’s online censorship system currently blocks many popular online destination, with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube among the list. It also bans sites hosted in Taiwan and rights groups. Apparently, China feels that, with this censorship, they have been successful at “cleaning” the Internet and banning online rumors.

China’s Ren Xianliang, Vice Minister of the State Internet Information Office, has said, “The fight against rumors has received positive response and has been quite effective. The Internet has become clean. The frequency of slander has declined, but it has not impacted the orderly flow of information.”

Originally, the Internet so-called cleaning was aimed at quashing anti-government discourse and rumors. Now, however, Chinese authorities are said to pressure Internet groups to delete any user-posted content they determine to be politically sensitive.

Ren stated they “will meet the demands of the people to create a cyberspace with Chinese characteristics.”

To do this, Chinese officials are working with local Internet regulators and providers to strengthen regulation and train personnel. Officials also plan to regulate searches and microblogs such as the WeChat app. There are plans to continue blocking sites with information on or showing support for the separatists in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang and Tibetan independence.

In response to where China gets the right to block sites Ren simply said, “Websites propagating material on Tibet and Xinjiang aim to split our nation, or try to subvert the power of the state. This runs counter to China’s laws and regulations.”

What I want to know is, does Ren himself believe the crap he is spewing?

[via Yahoo Finance]