BEIJING - China has delayed a plan requiring that all new computers come with a Chinese-made Internet filtering software program, state media reported Tuesday, hours before it was to take effect.

China had planned to implement the controversial rule beginning Wednesday but it has been postponed, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

"The pre-installation was delayed as some computer producers said such a massive installation demanded extra time," Xinhua said, quoting an unnamed ministry spokesman.

The spokesman did not give a new timetable for the software to be installed.
"The ministry would also keep on soliciting opinions to perfect the pre-installation plan," he was quoted saying.

The move is likely to be hailed by foreign and domestic critics, who have accused the government of trying to increase already tight controls over the Internet.

These claims were rejected by the spokesman, Xinhua said, quoting him as saying assertions in some foreign media that the software was an intrusion of privacy were "groundless" and "irresponsible".

Computer makers had been told that from July 1, they must either pre-install the Green Dam Youth Escort software or include it on a disc accompanying all new personal computers sold in the country.

The United States and European Union, industry groups, Internet freedom advocates and even some Chinese state media reports had criticized the plan as a new threat to Internet freedom in China, which has the world's largest online population at roughly 300 million.

Following the announcement, the American and European chambers of commerce in China welcomed the decision.

"We believe that this is a positive development, which is consistent with international best practices and is good for Chinese consumers, the government and the business community," the American Chamber of Commerce in China said in a statement.

"We recognize and continue to support the use of effective and responsible parental controls to protect children from inappropriate material on the Internet."

AmCham said it considered the announcement of the delay "a positive step forward" but would continue to monitor the situation.

The European Chamber of Commerce in China also said it was encouraged by the decision.

"This is a pragmatic solution," it said. "The European Chamber looks forward to continuing to work with the Chinese government to find market-based solutions that enable consumer choice and protect children on the Internet."

Beijing has consistently countered that the filter is designed to shelter youngsters from pornography and violence, and give parents control over what their children view online.

China has a history of blocking sites carrying politically sensitive topics such as the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown on democracy protesters, the banned Falungong spiritual movement, or criticism of the government.

China's Communist Party censors have struggled in recent years to keep pace with an explosion of online content, which is often the only outlet for ordinary Chinese to vent concerns about official corruption and government abuses.

Authorities have typically couched periodic clampdowns in terms of halting the spread of obscene material.