SHANGHAI, CHINA - The Chinese government will clamp down on mapping websites and other online geographical information that it fears might undermine national security, state media reported Thursday.

Eight government agencies, including the foreign ministry, are to tighten supervision of geographical information available online, the official China Daily reported.

There are nearly 10,000 online map websites in China and authorities will close down most of them as they show maps without approval, said Min Yiren, deputy director with the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping.

"Some websites publish sensitive or confidential geographical information, which might leak state secrets and threaten security," Min said.

A hotline has been set up for the public to report illegal websites, he said.

The campaign will also target websites labelling Taiwan as a separate country, according to Min.

Taiwan and China have been ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949, but Beijing still considers the island part of its territory and insists on reunification.

China previously ordered foreigners who engage in surveying and mapping to obtain approval from the government and accept supervision.

The mapping bureau said earlier that foreigners who illegally survey, gather and publish geographical information on China will be "severely punished".

Chinese partners or translators will also be fined if they fail to stop illegal mapping activities as soon as they find out about them, it said. --AFP