Security of Internet, phone top priority

BEIJING - Reinforcing the security of telecommunications in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is a priority for officials, because the Internet, phone and mobile services have become major tools for overseas extremists and separatists to instigate terrorist events in the region, a senior official said.

"The July 5 riot last year shows the Internet has become a major platform for the 'three evil forces' - extremists, separatists and terrorists - to spread rumors and plot sabotage activities," Yang Maofa, director of the Xinjiang Communications Administration, said in a written interview on Wednesday.

"So reinforcing the management of Xinjiang's Internet is extremely important for national security."