Administrative Regulations on Internet-based News Information Services entered into force on 1 June 2017.
There are 29 articles in total. The Regulations aim to regulate the activities providing internet-based news information services within the territory of China. The news information refers to the reports and comments relating to social public affairs such as politics, economy, military affairs and foreign affairs, and social emergencies. Key points of the Regulations include:
- Any subject providing Internet-based news information services to the social public via the Internet shall obtain the Internet-based news information service license.
- The Internet-based news information services include Internet-based news information collecting, editing and publishing services, republishing service and transmission platform service.
- Only the legal persons incorporated within the territory of China shall apply for an Internet-based information service license. And Sino-foreign joint ventures, Sino-foreign cooperative ventures or wholly foreign-owned enterprises shall not be providers of Internet-based information service.
- The collecting and editing business and the operating business of the Internet-based news information shall be separately operated by different entities; and the operating entity conducting collecting and editing business shall have all its shares be held by State-owned investors.