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China's new regulations for online video and audio content prohibiting violent, pornographic and pirated material are part of an effort to promote the Internet's "healthy" development the government said.

The new rules require that online video be broadcast only by state-owned or state-controlled companies. "The Internet in China is developing very rapidly, and there are already more than 200 million users. It is everyone's common aspiration to have a good Internet environment," the Ministry of Information Industry said on its Web site.

"The rules encourage Internet video and audio service providers to transmit positive programs which are in the public interest," it went on to say.

YouTube has been frequently blocked in China during political events, while Wikipedia and photo-sharing site Flickr have also been blocked from time to time. The new statement did not address those issues.

"The rules make clear state investment should guide the development of Internet video and audio programs, which is of benefit to the development of Internet culture with Chinese characteristics," it said.

China wants to prevent social unrest and monitors closely the media and is quick to censor Web sites and forums that pose a potential risk for an uprising.