Information management authorities in Beijing have shut down 17 websites including one run by liberal economist Mao Yushi's Tianze Institute of Economics for violation of laws and regulations.
"The 17 websites were closed for providing news service online without Internet News Information Service License, providing pornographic content, not registering for an Internet Content Provider license or providing fake information in registration," which violated laws and regulations, according to a post on Beijing Internet Information Office's official WeChat account on Friday.
The closed websites included one run by Tianze Institute of Economics (unirule.org.cn) and its related china-review.com, a commentary website under Tianze and ccppp.org, which focuses on public affairs studies of China.
The Sina Weibo account of Mao Yushi, cofounder of Tianze as well as an outspoken economist and free market advocate, was also closed recently.
Mao has triggered controversy for his advocacy of bold reforms and his criticism of neo-Maoist left.
"There is only one thing that is important for Mao Yushi, which is to be a traitor," a Sina Weibo user posted on Friday.
According to the Web cache of Google on Friday, Mao's Weibo account had more than 2.67 million followers with 1,294 posts before it was closed.
