Xi defends the Great Firewall of China at Internet conference

Beijing

PRESIDENT Xi Jinping defended China's strict control of websites, saying that it was necessary to keep public order, and urged nations to respect each other's sovereignty over the Internet.

Countries must not interfere in the internal affairs of others, Mr Xi told a technology gathering on Wednesday in Wuzhen, adapting a concept that has long been part of the Chinese Communist Party's foreign policy. Cyber space must not become a "battlefield" between states, Mr Xi said, and he called for greater cooperation on punishing cyber attacks and fighting terrorism.