"An unprecedented act of censorship" is how international press freedom organisation, Reporters Without Borders, described China's latest method of internet censorship. The new measures are aimed at silencing those who attempt to express their opinion through online video material.

The new laws effective from 31 January 2008, will prevent "attacks on national sovereignty" - a phrase as alarming and vague as "state secrets". The latter catch-all is used as an explanation for denying people fair trial, access to lawyers, laying unexplained charges and imprisonment for years. Shi Tao is currently serving 10 years in prison for his online sharing of a "state secret" (that's already known to millions of people).

From 31 January new license agreements will mean that all video material on the internet must first be approved by a government regulatory body. Among the content considered to be at risk of "attacking national sovereignty" is information relating to ethnicity.

Chairman of Beijing based advisory firm (BDA), Duncan Clark believes the measures are more about censorship than regulation of the industry; "It's clearly a question of control of information, with political content being the number one concern," he says. When announcing the new regulations, the Chinese Government stated; "Those who provide internet audio and video services must serve socialist ideals and the Chinese people."

Google's YouTube site is hugely popular in China, and it is not clear how the new regulations will affect such a user-generated and sharing-based site. Access to YouTube inside China was temporarily blocked during the October National People's Congress meeting held in Beijing. We saw in the recent Myanmar crisis how important amateur online video content can be in getting a message out to the rest of the world and the domestic population. And, at the same time, with more and more people having easier access to filming and uploading, it can be seen that this is an obvious frontier China wishes to shut down.

As with many contradictions in the lead up to the August Olympic Games this year, the new online regulations appear to oppose some recent official statements about increased transparency and media access in China. Minister of State Council's Information Office, Cai Wu, recently announced that the January 2007 easing of regulations on foreign media may remain after the Olympics. He suggested that this might be "... a good policy in accordance with the country's reform and opening up..." He went on to say; "People don't want more rhetoric and empty words, they want to be given facts." Such statements are encouraging to hear but do not fit with the concept of restricting online video content.

Also disturbing is the January 2 Foreign Correspondents Club of China report that 180 of 300 members recently surveyed reported cases of journalists being obstructed in their work since the January 2007 reforms. Club president, Melinda Liu of Newsweek, said: "While the new regulations have improved overall reporting conditions for foreign journalists, we are particularly troubled by repeated violations in several areas, including in Beijing and Hebei (the province surrounding the capital) where plain-clothed thugs have intimidated or physically assaulted foreign journalists."

And what is the Chinese media saying about the new regulations? Well nothing of course - they are all state owned!