BEIJING - A senior government official said Thursday that as more and more people share information via social networks, both conveniences and new challenges have emerged for social management.

Wang Chen, chief of the Information Office of China's State Council, made the remarks while addressing the fourth UK-China Internet Roundtable meeting.

The violent crimes that occurred in some parts of the world this year have caused people to consider how to prevent the abuse of social networks, he said.

"Facts prove that while developing countries have the new problems arising from social networks, developed countries also face similar challenges. This is a common problem that confronts many countries in the world," Wang said.

He said China supports the rational use of new Internet technologies in handling relevant challenges, so as to enable more new technologies to be used to promote social development and progress.

The two-day meeting, which gathered over 100 representatives from governmental departments, renowned Internet enterprises and research institutes of the two countries, ends on Friday.