China's media watchdog on Wednesday cited a government catalogue which bans foreign investment in online publications to justify recent disputes over a new regulation expected to take effect on Thursday.

According to an article published Wednesday in a newspaper affiliated with the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT), an anonymous official from the administration said the Catalogue for the Guidance of Industries for Foreign Investment specifically puts foreign investment in online publishing on the blacklist.

The catalogue was jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce in 2015.

Other industries on the list include books, newspapers and magazines, digital publication and audiovisual products, the official said.

The clarification comes after China released a new regulation on February 4 that prohibits foreign businesses from publishing online content.

Joint ventures between Chinese and foreign firms should first seek the approval of the SAPPRFT before publishing content online, including text, photos, games and animation.

The rules have sparked heated discussions, with many foreign firms fearing that the regulation may damage their interests. 

The new regulation does not specify what organization will be affected but Reuters quoted an expert as saying that Apple Inc's online music, video and bookstore services may be targeted.

Luo Ping, dean of the Phoenix School-Communication University of China, said that the regulation is a necessary measure to protect the country's information security.

"Good foreign works are still allowed in China through domestic enterprises," said Luo, adding that the move is not meant to suppress foreign enterprises.

"Banning foreign investments in online publishing services is aimed at protecting the nation's ideology and culture security," Wang Sixin, a media law professor at the Communication University of China, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Wang added that it will help prevent our local culture from being affected by overseas cultures.

Moreover, the official from the SAPPRFT stressed that online publishing service providers within the People's Republic of China must have their servers and storage equipment located in the Chinese mainland.

Wang pointed out that the servers and storage equipment could store large amounts of information such as distribution channels and customers' consumption habits.

He said such information could be used for economic data and is thus crucial to the country's economic security.

Public concerns

Since the new regulation set new guidelines on what content can be published online, and who is qualified to engage in this business, many people said they are concerned about whether it would hinder the booming industry of "We Media," or self-generated media such as Weibo and WeChat accounts.

The official said individuals or institutions that open official Weibo and WeChat accounts do not need administration approval. Online service platforms, on the other hand, will be regulated by the authorities.

Moreover, online game service providers who allow the public to download or play games online are also required to get the SAPPRFT's approval. 

The regulation also requires online publishing service providers to hire at least eight full-time editors, which the official said meets the requirements to produce high-quality publications. 

The rules further say online content publishers should "promote core socialist values" and spread morals that improve the quality of the nation and promote economic development.