All foreign Internet companies, including Google Inc?and Facebook Inc, will be welcomed by China as long as they operate according to Chinese laws and protect the rights of the nation, an official with the Cyberspace Administration of China said on Oct 12.

The comment was in response to a question about the possible reentry of Google and Facebook into the Chinese market.

Ren Xianliang, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, made the remarks at a press conference on the preparation work being done for the third World Internet Conference.

"The policy of Internet development in China remains open," Ren added.