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China Launches Official Online Mapping Service to Compete with Google Earth

On October 23, 2010, World Journal, a Taiwan based Chinese newspaper, reported that China is making a full out effort across China to provide a government-backed map service called “Map World” in order to compete with Google Earth. 

The Chinese mapping data was considered the confidential information of the military. "Map World" has a strong background. According to the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, the project is backed and supported by the Ministry of Land Resources, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of State Security, the State Secrets Bureau, the PLA Secrets Office, the PLA’s General Staff Department, the Armed Police Headquarters, the Surveying and Mapping Bureau under the PLA’s General Staff Department, and other security and intelligence agencies.

Source: World Journal, October 23, 2010
http://www.worldjournal.com/view/full_hnews/10013300/article-%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B%E6%8E%A8%E5%A4%A9%E5%9C%B0%E5%9C%96-%E5%90%91%E8%B0%B7%E6%AD%8C%E5%9C%B0%E7%90%83%E5%AE%A3%E6%88%B0?instance=noon

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China Wants to Expand the Social Influence of the Party’s Newspapers and Journals

On October 14, People’s Daily reported on the annual video conference that had been held in Beijing on October 13, on the distribution work of the Party’s newspapers and journals.  

It was pointed out at the conference that the newspaper People’s Daily and the journal Qiushi (www.QSTheory.cn), as the official newspaper and journal of the CPC Central Committee, are important tools for shaping ideology and public opinion. Major Party newspapers and journals must be delivered into the hands of the majority of Party member cadres and ordinary people in a timely manner. The decision was made to continue to expand the area coverage and the social influence of the Party’s major newspapers and journals.

Source: People’s Daily, October 14, 2010
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/1026/12948207.html

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Xinhua Defends the Government’s Real ID Registration for Cell Phones

In defense of China’s recent practice of requiring real IDs for cell phone numbers, Xinhua News Agency published an article titled “How the U.S. Implements Real Name Registration for Cell Phones.” The article explains that U.S. cell phone users need to provide their social security number, name, address, and credit card information at the time of purchase, thus showing that the newly implemented rule is not unlike the rules in many developed nations. However, the article obscured the fact that the major cell phone companies in China — China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom — are all government-controlled, while telecommunication companies in the U.S. are private.
Source: Xinhua, September 9, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-09/09/c_12534295.htm
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Xinhua: The Compass Navigation Satellite System Is Unique

Sun Jiadong, an Academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, recently gave a speech at the Shanghai Expo. Sun is the Chief Architect and Designer of China’s self-developed GPS system – the Compass Navigation Satellite System (CNSS). Sun emphasized a unique feature that all other GPS systems do not have: CNSS allows ground devices to transmit short text messages to the satellites, thus establishing two-way communication. Sun also mentioned that although the CNSS is being built rapidly, the real world usage, or even preparation for usage, is minimal. Other than some central government branches, the entire domestic market is still asleep. The Chinese market is still dominated by foreign technologies and products. He believed that the general public needs to be educated about the Chinese space industry’s achievements.

Source: China Review News, September 2, 2010
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1014/3/4/0/101434065.html?coluid=45&kindid=0&docid=101434065&mdate=0902093423

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China Requires a Real ID for Cell Phone Purchases

On September 1, China launched a "real-name cell phone number" system. If anyone purchases any mobile phone, he must register his ID card information. Authorities say that the purpose of the new measure is to crack down on SMS spam, fraud, and pornographic mobile phone websites. However, people worry that the new measures will actually increase the risk of abuse of personal data.
Source: Asia Times, September 1, 2010
http://www.atchinese.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68815:2010-09-01-09-49-
21&catid=18:2009-01-12-14-50-33&Itemid=110
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Beijing Justifies Internet Control by Referring to Western Practices

In a lengthy article published by its official Xinhua news agency, China enumerates many examples of how Western governments control cyberspace, with a view to defending China’s own control of the Internet.
The article starts by pointing out, “Many Western countries advocate freedom of speech. At first glance, they seem to exert no control over the Internet.” The article goes on to give examples of government regulations in the U.S., Germany, Australia, Korea, and Japan. They include U.S. intelligence agencies’ strikes on Internet hackers, the German’s Information and Communication Service Act, Japan’s Adolescent Internet Environment Readiness Act, and Korea’s enforced real name online registration.
An analysis of the examples, however, reveals that they do not, in actuality, greatly restrict citizen’s freedom of speech.
Source: Xinhua, July 23, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2010-07/23/c_12365092.htm
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SARFT: Not Allowed to Have a Radio, Film, or Television Festival without a Permit

On July 26, the State Administration of Radio Film and Television re-issued a directive that any institution that does not have a Radio and TV Program Production License should not participate in any radio, film, or television festival.
The notice demanded that all organizers of radio, film, or television festivals rigorously review the qualifications of the participants and bar any unqualified ones from participating.
Source: Xinhua, July 26, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-07/26/c_12374931.htm
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Xinhua: Chinese News Information Standardization Committee Established

On July 15, the Chinese News Information Standardization Committee met for the first time in Beijing and announced the worldwide release of 2 new Chinese standards: Chinese News Markup Language and the Classification and Coding of Chinese News. This is an attempt to unite and streamline the “information orphan islands” scattered around the globe that include domestic and international Chinese language news media. The goals of the committee include improving Chinese language competitiveness in the global information product market, improving China’s international information distribution capabilities, and breaking the “public opinion monopoly” of the West. Xinhua News Agency officially governs the Committee. The immediate next step in the Committee’s mission is to turn the standards into something that the Chinese lanuage media follow across the world.

Source: Xinhua, July 15, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-07/15/c_111959481.htm

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