Reality Check

There are two facets to China's control of the Internet. On the one hand it is attempting to ``keep national secrets from being stolen.'' On the other, it is seeking to curb political criticism, both from within, and without.

The bureau of government to administer the Internet encryption is the State Information Security Appraisal and Identification Management Committee. It seems that China has become aware of the political implications of the Internet. The government already controls access to the Net through officially approved Internet service providers. This new committee only increases the power of the State by facilitating the identification of Internet users.