Chinese President Xi Jinping said China must build a “solid” security barrier around its internet under the supervision of the ruling Communist Party, in his latest call to safeguard online data and information.

“We must adhere to the Party’s management of the internet and adhere to (the principle of) making the internet work for the people,” the state-run Xinhua news agency has quoted Xi as saying.

China must persist in managing, operating, and ensuring access to the internet in accordance with the law, the Chinese president said in instructions delivered to officials attending a cybersecurity meeting in Beijing.

In 2015, China passed a national security law with a broader scope to include cyberspace. A year later, a law was passed that contained requirements for security reviews and for data to be stored on servers in China.