China cyber watchdog rejects censorship critics, says Internet must be 'orderly'

China enforces strict Internet censorship rules, which have hardened this year with new restrictions on media outlets and surveillance measures for social media sites.

BEIJING: China's top cyber authority on Thursday rejected a recent report ranking it last out of 65 countries for press freedom, saying the internet must be "orderly" and the international community should join it in addressing fake news and other cyber issues.

Ren Xianliang, vice minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), said the rapid development of the country's internet over two decades is proof of its success and that it advocates for the free flow of information.