Crackdown on microblogs in China

CHINA’s hugely popular “microblogs” also face a crack-down following last week’s Communist Party meeting.

A communique from the Communist Party’s Central Committee has made clear leaders are looking for ways to better control the microblog services that have become channels for spreading news and opinion that can unsettle the government.

The microblogs, especially the Twitter-like “Weibo” service, below, carry plenty of gossip and harmless fare. But they also offer raucous forums for lambasting officials and reporting unrest or official abuses.