Web firms accused of Chinese 'collaboration'

INTERNET firms such as Microsoft, Google and Yahoo! have come under fire from MPs for "collaboration" with Chinese state censorship of the web.

The Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee said their agreement to block the access of computer users to certain information in the communist state was "morally unacceptable".

But it also called on the British government to put pressure on China's political leaders to relax its curbs and allow services to be run unrestricted.

The criticism came in a wide-ranging report on east Asia which attacked China's human rights record and warned of the emergence of an "authoritarian bloc" with Russia. It also raised concerns about the implications of Taiwan's exclusion from the World Health Organisation for the spread of bird flu and over North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

The internet firms - which told the MPs it was better to offer Chinese users some information than none - have been criticised by human rights groups and US politicians.

But the committee concluded: "The collaboration of Western internet companies in the censorship and policing of the internet for political purposes is morally unacceptable."

It agreed all users should have access to the maximum possible information and said the UK should pressure China to relax its restrictions and point out the economic damage such measures caused.

The MPs' report said growing links between China and Russia raised concerns since it could signal "the emergence of an authoritarian bloc opposed to democracy and Western values in Eurasia".

It said the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation - a security group aimed at opposing Nato - could "evolve into an alliance of authoritarian powers opposed to the West".

The alliance - which Iran now wants to join - could also "aid China's efforts to establish control over Central Asian Energy Reserves".

The government was urged by the MPs to raise human rights issues with the Chinese authorities at the highest level and "not flinch" from making public statements.

As well as its internal practices, China was damaging efforts to uphold basic human rights by supporting regimes in Africa and elsewhere condemned by the international community, the report said.

"Working with or supporting outcast regimes will damage China's reputation and could set Beijing on a course in opposition to other major members of the international community." It should be persuaded that "corrupt, brutal and incompetent regimes make unreliable partners", the report suggested.

It questioned what efforts were made to follow up talks with the Chinese on human rights issues and called for the concrete impact of such discussions to be published.

The government should also "redouble its efforts" to support the teaching of Chinese and other east Asian languages or face losing influence.

Responding to missile tests carried out by North Korea last month, the MPs said it had been a "calculatedly provocative and unacceptable" act. "We conclude that, lack of verification notwithstanding, it would be irresponsible for the government to assume that North Korea had not developed a nuclear weapon or weapons. We further conclude that the risk of a nuclear accident occurring in North Korea is significant," they added - calling on ministers to set out what plans were in place to deal with such a crisis.

Taiwan is excluded from the WHO and other international bodies as it is regarded as a breakaway Chinese province.

The MPs said that while it should not be recognised as a state, the UK should increase contacts with Taiwan. "Taiwan's exclusion from bodies addressing concerns in areas including health is unsatisfactory, particularly with the spread of avian influenza," they said.