China blocks websites, Internet accounts in new cleanup campaign

The Chinese national flag flies near a security camera on Beijing's Tiananmen Square, China May 19, 2017. Picture taken May 19, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

BEIJING: China launched a new campaign to clean up its Internet, state media said, amid a fresh wave of apparent censorship by Beijing blocking more foreign media websites and shutting down domestic accounts on social media.

The joint effort was launched in May by the cyberspace administration, the information technology ministry, the public security bureau and the markets regulator and will run until the end of the year, the official Xinhua news agency.