The Cyberspace Administration of China, speaking at a press conference to discuss the country's internet development, also said it was guiding and supervising the rectification work of Didi Global, the Chinese ride-hailing giant which was fined $1.2 billion last month for violating data security laws.

It also said it was supportive of the healthy development of internet companies, and that it would build a close and clean relationship between enterprises and the government.

(Reporting by Martin Pollard and Eduardo Baptista; Editing by Himani Sarkar)