China warns army to 'ignore' Internet rumors of coup

China has warned its armed forces to ignore Internet rumours about a coup in Beijing, and have ordered the army to maintain absolute loyalty to the party.

China's official military newspaper, the Liberation Army Daily, called on the army to 'pay great attention to the impacts of the internet and mobile phones on the mind and thoughts of soldiers', and to manage internet systems in the barracks.

It stressed 'the party's absolute leadership over the army', and told troops to 'resist all kinds of erroneous ideological invasion, noise disturbance, and not be moved by undercurrents,' The BBC reports.

This follows the arrest of six people and closure of 16 websites last week, for spreading misinformation that military vehicles were on the streets of Beijing.

The posts on websites, Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibowere, were picked up by media outlets across the world, and some critics of Beijing suggested a coup might be taking place.