China MP warns of defence leaks via Internet

BEIJING: Chinese Internet users should keep national security in mind and not reveal military secrets through online chat rooms, emails or blogs, Xinhua news agency said on Sunday citing a warning from a member of parliament.

Lin Kang, a National People's Congress deputy from the second artillery corps, said the Internet has made the exchanges of military information easier, as many Web portals have set up special military columns and some military experts have opened blogs.

"Some fanciers pour out military information they know when chatting, emailing and posting articles on the Internet," Xinhua quoted Lin as saying, noting that such doings could betray confidential military matters.

"Relevant government departments should ... enhance management and supervision of the Internet and timely clear out online contents that let out military secrets," he was quoted as saying.

China employs an army of cyber cops that monitor citizens' emails and ferret out any postings deemed politically sensitive.

State secrets include anything from political jockeying to rural protests to the level of the country's grain and gold reserves. The country only recently declassified the fatality toll from natural disasters.