China Urges ISPs to Pledge'Patriotism'

The country already requires Internet firms to police their online content and weed out any criticism of the central government. It also tries to block sites it deems politically sensitive or otherwise unacceptable. The new pact was initiated by the China Internet Association, a government-run industry group, the official Xinhua News Agency said over the weekend. The new pact was initiated by the China Internet Association, a government-run industry group, the official Xinhua News Agency said over the weekend. "The basic principles of self-discipline for the Internet industry are patriotism, observance of the law, fairness and trustworthiness," Xinhua said.