China shuts leftist Web sites as political strife continues BEIJING - China's Communist Party censors on Friday closed several "new left" Web sites, and a fourth, pro-reform site run by the Carter Center went off-line, as the country's rulers sought to stifle divergent voices and muffle signs of an ongoing ideological struggle ahead of a crucial leadership change this fall. The Web sites Maoflag.net, Jinbushe.org (or "Progress Society") and wyzxsx.com, the Internet home of Utopia, a neo-Maoist group, were among those closed to Internet users in China. All three have been outspoken in their support of the popular and charismatic former Chongqing Party chief Bo Xilai, who was fired March 15. And they were cheerleaders for Bo's "Chongqing model" of development, which emphasized a strong state-centered economy and social welfare policies to address income inequality. On Friday, the Maoflag and Utopia Web sites initially carried the same message, saying they were shut down for one month by the State Council Information Office and the Public Security Bureau for "posting articles and information that are anti-constitution, maliciously attacking national officials, and spreading rumors about 18th Party Congress." That message was later taken down, replaced by a simple message saying they were having technical problems. The 18th Congress, set for this fall, is due to select a new party secretary and president - now slated to be the current vice president, Xi Jinping - and seven of nine new members on the powerful Politburo Standing Committee, which effectively runs the country. Another leftist site, redchinacn.com, was also closed late Friday, and comments were disabled on the nationalist news site m4.cn, originally known as the "anti-CNN" Web site. In a telephone interview, Rao Jin, the founder of m4.cn, said the bulletin board of the site was being changed. He acknowledged, "We do face very big pressure now. But it's not convenient to tell you the details. He said the revised site would have more features about lifestyle and entertainment. On the opposite side of the political spectrum, the Chinese-language Web site of China Elections and Governance, which is run by the Carter Center and advocates political reform, also was inaccessible Friday. A notice said the site was experiencing technical problems. "The party doesn't want too much noise before the 18th Party Congress," said Chen Yongmiao, an independent political observer in Beijing. The rightists want political reform. The leftists want social welfare" and a more equitable distribution of wealth. The party just wants the two sides to be quiet and stop talking about politics. Until his ignominious firing last month, Bo - the son of revolutionary hero Bo Yibo - was widely considered to be in line for one of the nine Standing Committee positions. His removal has not been officially explained, leaving an information vacuum that is being filled with a plethora of Internet-fueled rumors, including unsubstantiated claims that he is under investigation for corruption or that his popular following unnerved a leadership that favors faceless, collective decision-making.