A forum exploring the responsibilities facing online media opened yesterday in Beijing.

The two-day Forum on Network Media of China calls on the Internet media and its employees to strictly abide by professional standards.

Under a market economy, it has become increasingly important for websites, especially commercial websites, to find a balance between maximizing their profits and promoting social progress, the forum heard.

By June 30, 2003, China had 470,000 Internet websites and 68 million Internet users, said Cai Zhaoming, deputy director of the State Council's Information Office.

Eighty per cent of Chinese Internet users are under 24 years old. The network media therefore shoulders responsibility for the Chinese people's future, said Cai.

Some 150 Internet websites are legally able to publish and reprint news, and as many as 1,400 news outlets have gone online.

According to a Chinese Academy of Social Sciences survey, news websites sponsored by official media, including the China Daily website, had gained users' trust with authoritative, accurate and timely reporting. Meanwhile, renowned commercial websites, such as Sohu, Netease and Sina, also attracted a large number of users with news information, said Cai.

But Cai warned some commercial websites, aiming to maximize profits, make up news, spread pornography and publish illegal advertisements.

This year's forum was run by the State Council's Information Office and sponsored by the country's major news websites and All-China Journalists Association.

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