Zhang Xinjian, deputy director of the Ministry of Culture's
Market, announced at the weekend that 1,600 Internet cafes were
closed down between February and August and 100 million yuan (US$12
million) in fines imposed for allowing minors to play violent or
adult-only games.
Some 1.8 million outlets were inspected, and 18,000 ordered to
suspend operations pending correction of cited problems.
Zhang commented that pornography, gambling and violence have
adversely affected the healthy development of the Internet in
China.
The crackdown comes amid a nationwide push to limit violence and
pornography on the Internet that has seen the government shut down
hundreds of Websites.
As of July this year -- just a decade after the Internet first
appeared in the country -- some 87 million Chinese were going
online, making China the second largest user nation in the
world.
Nearly 40 percent of Internet users are under the age of 24,
according to China Internet Network Information Center (CINIC).
(CRI, China.org.cn November 1, 2004)