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China's ISPs number 520 newspaper

SHANGHAI: The number of China's licenced Internet Service Providers (ISPs) has soared to 520 from 204 in 1998, the Shanghai Securities News reported on Monday.

The fast growth is prompting China to involve more government bodies to control the Internet more effectively, the official newspaper quoted Chang Xiaobing, deputy head of the Ministry of Information Industries (MII), as saying.

The main regulator of the Internet, might join hands with industrial and commerce-related government departments, it said.

The authorities have been trying to rein in the burgeoning industry, including closing unlicensed Internet cafes, clamping new regulations on the Internet to stop the leak of "state secrets" and demanding companies register for approval to use encryption.-Reuters