Chinese President Xi defends China's right to regulate the Internet

Chinese President Xi Jinping pushed back against concerns that new Chinese regulations and restrictions are meant to censor online speech and keep foreign businesses out of the country. “We welcome all foreign companies in China and will respect and protect their lawful rights and interests provided that they abide by the laws and regulations of China and do nothing to undermine China’s national interests and interests of Chinese consumers,” President Xi said.

Businesses and nonprofits have watched warily in recent years as China has moved to further control the flow of digital information and pass a national security law that requires certain technologies to be “secure and controllable.” Ahead of his first official state visit in Washington later during the week of Sept 21, President Xi maintained China’s right to regulate its own Internet. “Rule of law also applies to the Internet, with the need to safeguard a country’s sovereignty, security and development interests as relevant as in the real world,” he said. "Freedom and order must be upheld side by side in both cyberspace and the physical world,” Xi continued. “Freedom is the purpose of order, and order the guarantee of freedom. We need to fully respect netizens’ rights to express themselves, while at the same time, ensure a sound cyberspace order to better protect the lawful rights and interests of all netizens.”