(Telecompaper) In exchange for granting news licenses, China is considering taking board seats and stakes of at least 1 percent in operators of some internet portals and mobile apps, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the plan. Government representatives would then be able to monitor and block content distributed by internet providers, although they would not be involved in other day-to-day business decisions, the sources said. The Wall Street Journal first reported on discussions about possible government stakes in internet companies. Licenses would be required for providers of "current affairs news", which means all news and commentary related to politics, economics, military, foreign affairs and other social issues, according to the draft of the regulation. A license would also be required to reprint news stories or commentary via portals or mobile applications, it said.