Those who offer sexual service for money due to severe poverty means and are caught for the first time will receive a lenient punishment, police in eastern China's Jiangsu Province yesterday said.

Those who offer oral sex and masturbation for a sex client and are caught for the first time will also be lightly punished, they said.

They will be detained for less than five days, and fined less than 500 yuan, they said.

Also, in a new regulation published yesterday, Jiangsu authorities have clarified that commercial gay sex will be treated as prostitution.

Both heterosexual and homosexual relations, if established for the purpose of gaining money or properties, including oral sex, masturbation and pederasty, will be treated as prostitution, the guidance said.

People who have already begun a commercial sex act but are prevented from completing it or have already finished the process but not the payment are still considered in violation of the regulation, according to the new rule.

People who are charged with prostitution may face a detention of 10 to 15 days and a maximum fine of 5,000 yuan (US$625).

Those who breach the regulation for the first time may face a detention of up to 5 days and a maximum fine of 500 yuan.

Those who violate the rule many times but are between 16-18 years old or those above 18 who violate the rule more than twice will be educated at a detention center.

(Shanghai Daily June 2, 2006)