More than 100 Chinese Internet business players signed a public pledge Tuesday to promote self-discipline in the country's Internet industry, the first such pledge in China.

Containing four chapters and 31 articles, the pledge stresses the establishment of a self-disciplinary mechanism aimed to advance the healthy and orderly development of the Internet industry in China.

The basic principles of self-discipline for the Internet industry are patriotism, observance of the law, fairness and trustworthiness.

The pledge encourages lawful, fair and orderly competition and values the protection of intellectual property, network security and the elimination of deleterious information from the Internet.

China has promulgated a series of laws and governmental regulations relating to the management of the Internet, such as the decision on safeguarding Internet security enacted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. However, China has yet to legislate exclusively for Internet management.

( March 27, 2002)