BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- A commentary in Saturday's People's Daily has defended China's regulation of online content as lawful and necessary.

"The Internet is not above the law. Where there is cyberspace, there is rule of law," said the article in the newspaper.

Multiple opinions can be allowed in cyberspace, but netizens must not stir up enmity, distort facts or encourage criminality, it said.

"A clean and healthy cyberspace is in the interests of the people, while a foul and unhealthy one serves no one," President Xi Jinping told a recent symposium on cyber security.

Echoing Xi's remarks, the commentary warned that without rule of law, the Internet would be riddled with rumors and scams, saying these are especially harmful to young Internet users.

The People's Daily said enterprises, website operators, online stores, social platforms and search engines, as well as the Communist Party of China and the government, must shoulder their responsibilities for cyberspace management.