China backs away from Internet filter

By Chris Buckley and David Stanway

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has delayed indefinitely a much-criticized plan to force manufacturers to bundle Internet filtering software with personal computers sold in the country, in an abrupt retreat hours before the policy was due to start.

The climbdown was reported late on Tuesday by the official Xinhua news agency, which said the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology would "delay the mandatory installation of the controversial 'Green Dam-Youth Escort' filtering software on new computers."

The "Green Dam" plan, which officials said was to stamp out Internet pornography banned in China, was to start on Wednesday, but had been assailed by critics of censorship, industry groups and Washington officials as politically intrusive, technically ineffective and commercially unfair.

No new date was given and the plan may drift into oblivion.

At a time when China's ruling Communist Party appears increasingly sure of its powers to master the economy, society and the Internet, the retreat was a vivid reminder that this sprawling government can stumble on its own ambitions.

"They never expected the backlash would be so vehement," said Wang Junxiu, an Internet entrepreneur in Beijing who has objected to Green Dam and other forms of censorship.

"This will just peter out now and the government will hope it will be soon forgotten, I'd say."

The Ministry accepted the criticisms of computer companies, but left open the possibility of the censorship scheme returning in some form. And there can be no doubt that the ruling Communist Party remains wary of the Internet, which now has some 300 million users across China.

"Some businesses pointed out the heavy amount of work, time pressures and lack of preparation," an unnamed Ministry official said in a statement on its website (www.miit.gov.cn).

The official rejected claims that the plan threatened free speech, violated international trade rules or was chosen without proper tender processes.

"The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will further solicit opinions from all sides, improve the plan, upgrade methods and carry out related tasks," said the official.

But critics are likely to see the vague backdown, giving no fresh date for a launch, as a way for the government to escape quickly from the domestic and international controversy that erupted after the plan was revealed earlier this month, giving manufacturers little time to prepare.

"I would say we would welcome this," said Susan Stevenson, a spokeswoman for the United States' embassy in Beijing.

"DOOMED TO FAIL"

Wang Junxiu, the Internet entrepreneur in Beijing, said the plan appeared to be poorly thought out and doomed to fail.