The commentary points out: The current rapid development of information technology (IT), particularly information network technology, has not only exerted widespread influence in various fields of social life, it also represents a fundamental breakthrough and change in the information dissemination field itself. With the characteristics of a large information capacity, a rapid rate of dissemination, a wide covering range, a high degree of openness and interaction, Internet has increasingly become an important carrier in the activity of cultural dissemination and socio-economic activity.

The commentary also notes: The Party Central Committee with Comrade Jiang Zemin at the core pays high attention to the construction and development of Internet media. China's Internet construction has gone through the process of growing out of nothing, after several short years of development, China's Internet, now with a fairly solid foundation and significant strength, has played a positive role in domestic and foreign public opinion publicity and in major international media struggle. A group of news websites with independent domains have developed rapidly, the People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, CRI (China Radio International), China Daily, China Internet Information Center and other key websites, in particular, give timely, accurate and comprehensive publicity on the Party's lines, principles and policies and persist in giving correct opinion guidance and has thus played an important role in sparking enthusiasm and inspiring morale, making positive contributions to China's reform, development and stability.

The commentary says: Internet media construction and news publicity is a new thing, which is at the initial stage of development in China, so from the very beginning we must have a clear guiding thought and working principle, a unified, long-term program and arrangement.

Newly Modified “CHINA.ORG.CN” Available

It is a good news for people throughout the world who are interested in China that the newly modified website, WWW.China.Org.CN is now available. As one of the five leading media websites in China, it is specially devoted to reporting what is happening in China to foreign visitors.

Providing information in 10 languages, the website consists of various news columns and feature columns, covering every field about China ranging from government’s policy making to city news and anecdotes. What makes the website special is that its news reporting is backed by and linked with a voluminous database, which was developed based on the advanced Oracle system. By having access to the database, visitors may find themselves immediately sitting in front of an open encyclopedia about China, reading or retrieving information swiftly and conveniently.

Behind the website is China International Publishing and Internet Group, with its dozen media institutions and sister organizations throughout the country. Professional journalists and translators are now working with the website, trying to build an information expressway linking China with the outside world as closely as possible.

By clicking the website, visitor may be exposed to a three-dimension picture about China, which helps readers to find out about the country’s 5,000-year civilizations, feel the pulse of the world’s most populous nation as it pioneers its modernization in the new millennium; learn about its market potential and business opportunities; log onto sites of unique scenic and historical interest; consult specialists in various fields; chat with Chinese Internet fans—you can even learn a few Chinese phrases from your Chinese teacher on the web….