Academics yesterday discounted fears of the Government having complete control over the Internet.
Emily Lau Wai-hing, chairman of the Legislative Council information policy panel, voiced concern at a meeting on the development of the information superhighway.
Internet operations of all tertiary institutions in China are under the central network of Qinghua University in Beijing.
Dr John Bacon-Shone, Director of University of Hong Kong's Social Sciences Research Centre, said: 'This is a sensitive issue. I don't honestly know the extent of censorship. I don't think anybody really knows.
'I think a key point of commonality between the China model and the Singapore model is essentially the Government is assuming that Internet access comes through a very small number of points and they have control of that point.' Dr Bacon-Shone said this meant anyone within the country could only have access to a limited number of places outside it.
'That works if telecommunication practice is limited,' he said.
