China restricts outside websites including Google. Photograph: Sinopix\/REX<\/p>\n
Chinas sprawling internet censorship regime is harming the countrys economic and scientific progress, a senior official has said in a rare public rebuke of longstanding Communist party policy.<\/p>\n
Internet restrictions had also cooled enthusiasm among overseas investors and should be relaxed for politically innocuous content, said Luo Fuhe, vice-chairman of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, the top advisory body to Chinas rubber-stamp parliament. <\/p>\n
It is a rare criticism of the countrys censorship policies, which have become more severe since Xi Jinping assumed power in 2012. <\/p>\n
China operates one of the worlds most sophisticated and far-reaching internet censorship systems. Known as the Great Firewall, it completely blocks many foreign websites including Google, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.<\/p>\n
China was the worst abuser of internet freedom in 2016, ranking lower than Syria and Iran, according to a report by Freedom House. Aside from banned websites, censors frequently delete comments deemed politically sensitive from social media, and posts have led to jail time in some cases. <\/p>\n
From within China, attempting to visit to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization or a lot of foreign university website is very slow, Luo said. Opening each page takes at least 10-20 seconds and some foreign university sites need more than half an hour to open. <\/p>\n
Slow internet speeds and the increasing number of banned sites would have a significant impact on Chinas economic and social development and scientific research, Luo said. <\/p>\n
Some researches rely on software to climb over the firewall to complete their own research tasks. This is not normal, Luo added. <\/p>\n
Luo, a former scientific development official, said he hoped to work with others to introduce legislation lifting the ban on websites that are not politically sensitive and are necessary for scientific purposes. <\/p>\n
His chances would appear to be slim. Censorship has increased in recent years with Chinas leadership advocating for what it calls internet sovereignty, a doctrine that encourages nations to aggressively police what is allowed to enter each country over the internet. <\/p>\n
China will open the annual session of parliament, the National Peoples Congress, on 5 March. <\/p>\n
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\nChinese official calls for easing of internet censorship - The Guardian<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"