Chinese official demand clean-up of cyberspace

BEIJING - The chief of the Anti-Pornography and Anti-Illegal Publications work group, Liu Qibao, on Monday said more must be done to make the Internet a "cleaner" space.

Liu Qibao, who was speaking at the work groups' national conference in Beijing, underscored ideological and cultural safety as key values.

Liu, who also head of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) Central Committee, said relevant authorities and law enforcers should crack down on illegal publications, and specifically singled out the Internet as the "main battlefield".

Harmful publications and information -- on and off line -- as well as pornography and "fake journalism" must be identified and blocked, Liu ordered.

Moreover, websites should be held more accountable, Liu said, through greater self-discipline in the Internet sector.