Kerry expresses support for a free internet in China.
During a roughly 40-minute conversation with bloggers, Kerry stated that he had urged Chinese leaders to support internet freedom and addressed the issue of press freedom in the country, which has strict controls on what the media can say and blocks foreign websites and popular social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook; "Obviously, we think the Chinese economy will be stronger with greater internet freedom," Kerry said.
BEIJING, Feb 15 (Reuters) - US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his support for internet freedom in China during a meeting in Beijing with Chinese bloggers concerned about the authorities' crackdown on the internet.
Last year, the Chinese Communist Party renewed a rigorous campaign to control internet interaction, threatening legal action against individuals whose rumors, picked up on microblogs like Sina Weibo, are retweeted more than 500 times or viewed by more than 5 people.
Human rights groups and dissidents criticized the crackdown as yet another tool used by the party to limit criticism and increase control over freedom of expression.
The government says such measures are necessary for reasons of social stability and that all countries in the world are seeking to regulate the Internet.
During a roughly 40-minute conversation with bloggers, Kerry stated that he urged Chinese leaders to support internet freedom and addressed the issue of press freedom in the country, which has strict controls on what the media can say and blocks foreign websites and popular social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
"Obviously, we think the Chinese economy will be stronger with greater internet freedom," Kerry said.
(By Arshad Mohammed)
(Edited by Alexandre Caverni)