June 1, 2010

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping called on members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to play a leading role in reconstruction work in the quake-hit Yushu prefecture of northwestern Qinghai Province.

Relevant authorities should place safeguarding and improving people's livelihood in the quake zone on top of their agenda, and should focus on ensuring normal lives and work for the people before reconstruction was completed, Xi said during an inspection in Yushu on June 1, 2010.

The vice president began his inspection in the quake zone by visiting Yushu's Hongqi Elementary School, where he encouraged the students to study hard to become "future talents for the development of the country, of Qinghai, and of the new Yushu prefecture."

June 8, 2010

The Chinese government published a white paper on its Internet policy on June 8, 2010, stressing the guarantee of citizens' freedom of speech on the Internet and more intensive application of it.

The white paper, released by the State Council Information Office, introduced facts of the development and use of the Internet in China, and elaborated on the country's basic policies on the Internet.

The Chinese government actively advocates and supports the development and application of the Internet across the country, it said, stressing the government's basic Internet policy: active use, scientific development, law-based administration and ensured security.

By the end of 2009 the number of netizens in China had reached 384 million, 618 times that of 1997 with an annual increase of 31.95 million users.

The Internet had reached 28.9 percent of the total population by the end of 2009, higher than the world average. Its accessibility will be raised to 45 percent of the population in the coming five years, it said.