Online terror info traced to overseas websites

Chinese authorities have received 230 effective reports about online terrorist propaganda, with 70 percent of the material they have located being hosted by websites operating overseas.

Since the State Internet Information Office (SIIO) launched a campaign to rid the Internet of audio and video materials that promote terrorism and violence on June 20, the authorities have received 1,538 tip-offs, 230 of which were confirmed effective, the office said in a statement on Monday.

Suspects used the information to propagate religious extremism and Jihad, display bloody sites of terrorist attacks, and sell guns.

Some websites disseminated "guidelines" for violent terrorist attacks in Russian, Arabic and Uygur. Chinese terrorists were organized through the websites to get training overseas and returned to China to conduct violent attacks, according to the SIIO.

Some sites, with their servers operating overseas, featured information about the so-called "East Turkestan," criticizing China's ethic policies as well as laws and regulations. Some even taught how to make explosives.

The SIIO has set up an emergency response mechanism and ordered the websites in question to delete terrorist-related content. Some Internet companies have been given warnings and been urged to improve management and strengthen monitoring against terror information.

"Terrorist video and audio products have become a major instigator of the high incidence of terrorist activities at present," it said in an earlier statement.

The SIIO encouraged the public to provide it with tip-offs regarding online terrorist information and promised rewards of up to 100,000 yuan ($16,260) for those who offer important clues.