Xinhua carried a commentary by the International Herald which reaffirmed the policy to maintain overall control of the Internet. It referred to the recent “July 5 Riot” as an example and attributed the cause of the riot to overseas separatists who used the Internet to stir up and control activities inside of China. It also suggested a need for domestic developed online communities such as “Google,” “Facebook,” and “Twitter,” so that the government (the party) can systematically and actively manage the Internet’s contents.
Source: Xinhua, July 17, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-07/17/content_11723116.htm