Rule to protect security 'on the way this year'

A cyberspace rule aimed at maintaining State security and protecting the public interest will be introduced later this year, an official at China's Internet watchdog said on Wednesday.

"We're always pushing the rule, hoping it will be published and become effective as soon as possible," Peng Bo, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, said at a news conference in Beijing.

The exact timing of the rule's introduction is still uncertain, but Peng said it is expected to be published this year.