The Department of Information and Communications in Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang asked the Vietnam Internet Network Information Center and Da Nang's Center for Information Infrastructure Development to block a local tour operator’s website on July 30.
The department made the proposal after finding that Jeep Tours, a Da Nang – based travel firm, used “China Beach” to refer to Non Nuoc Beach for a tour advertised on its website. The move aims to prevent the distribution of false information about Vietnam’s sovereignty, the department said.
The website is hosted in Canada, so Vietnamese authorities are unable to block access to the site from Vietnam. “The domain name has been blocked in the city,” said an official from Da Nang’s Department of Information and Communications.
The website http://lookingglassjeeptours.com/vietnam/tours could not be accessed from Hanoi as of July 31.
On July 28, local authorities seized leaflets from Jeep Tours that named a stretch of coast in Da Nang the "China Beach". The company, however, did not remove “China Beach” from the tour advertised on its website.
Local police have been asked to investigate Jeep Tours.
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