China orders government websites to address public concerns

Government websites in China will be shut down if they fail to respond to public concerns or update information, according to a circular issued by China's State Council, or cabinet.

Government websites are required to provide up-to-date and accurate information, especially on sectors such as government budgets, public resources allocation and major construction projects, according to the circular, which has been posted on the central government website (www.gov.cn).

The move is believed to aim at improving the credibility of government websites, many of which have been accused of lacking adequate information, offering delayed updates and constantly having hyper-link errors.

Government websites should publish unclassified information ,important government decisions and interpretations of government policies as well as respond to public inquiries, according to the circular.

Local governments and government agencies are ordered to overhaul their websites regularly to ensure on-line service are accessible and work out emergency plans in case of cyber-attacks.

Officials are encouraged to log on local government websites or accept online interviews, according to the circular.