China has ordered all its provincial-level TV stations to launch a special channel catering for children by the end of 2006, according to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT).

The TV stations are required to produce and broadcast excellent cartoons, movies, TV plays, educational programs, entertainment programs, and feature programs suitable for young viewers on the new channel, the SARFT said, calling the move "a big event" that will bring benefits to future generations.

According to the three-step plan, one-third of China's provincial TV stations are ordered to launch their children's channel by the end of this year.

China Central Television Station (CCTV), the country's largest state broadcaster, launched a special program catering for young people on Dec. 28, 2003.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the central government have shown great concern about the nation's youngsters.

On March 22 this year, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued a package of proposals on improving the ethical, ideological and moral standards of children and young people across the country.

The 367 million children and youngsters under the age of 18, accounting for 28 percent of the Chinese population, are vital to the overall quality of the Chinese people and the future of the country, a spokesman of the Central Commission for Guiding Ethical and Cultural Progress (CCGEAP) has said.

Hence, strengthening and improving the ideological and ethical development of minors constitutes an urgent requirement for building a well-off society in an all-round way, according to the spokesman.

As watching TV programs is a favorite of youngsters, he said TV stations should put on more high-quality programs for both children and teenagers while the government is expected to support more China-made creative and healthy cartoons.

In a circular issued on April 19, SARFT ordered all TV stations to curtail air time allotted to TV plays, movies and other TV programs that depict bloody, violent, homicidal and horror scenes and content.

It also ordered strict control of the production and import of TV plays and movies of such nature, banned airing such programs in prime time, and ordered shifting their air time to midnight.

As China has seen some tragic accidents related to youngsters and Internet bars recently, the central government has imposed a rigid watch on Internet bars to keep them 200 meters away from schools and protect minors from profit-seeking Internet bars.

Moreover, to protect the youths from pornography, violence, evil cults and other negative factors, China beefed up and tightened supervision on the market of cultural products, especially cracking down on illegal computer games, publications and toys.

The Ministry of Culture is asking the public to recommend good-quality video products suitable for youngsters, which it would then launch a promotion of nationwide.

Earlier, the central government had asked museums to open free of charge to young students and asked schools to improve their standards in ethical education.

In addition, the government will invest more in building public venues for minors in communities, the CCGEAP spokesman said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2004)