The majority of local Internet cafes, currently exceeding 110,000
in the country, will be put under the management of large chain
store companies within three years, as part of efforts by the
Chinese government to rein in the fledgling and troublesome
business.
Liu Yuzhu, an official with the Ministry of Culture, said this
Saturday at the First China International Exposition on Online
Culture being held in Beijing.
In June 2002, some people set fire in a local Internet cafe,
killing 25 and injuring 13, which triggered a crackdown on
unlicensed operations. As a result, the number of Internet shops
dropped from 200,000 to 110,000.
Less than 100 chain store operators will be set up in the
future, to help regulate and standardize the sector.
Not all of the Internet cafes will be chains, but the government
will issue relevant regulations to ensure the healthy operations of
these individual shops, according to the official.
(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2003)