China Bans Opening of New Internet Cafes

China will ban the opening of new internet cafes from this July in a government campaign to clamp down on online addiction and juvenile crime.

The state media said today that the freeze is designed to protect young people from the harmful influence of the web, but freedom-of-expression organisations say it is a fresh attempt by the Communist government to control the spread of politically sensitive information.

China has one of the world's fastest growing and most tightly censored internet markets. Last year, the number of users increased by 23% to 137 million people. In two years, it is expected to overtake the US as the biggest online population on the planet.

But the authorities are increasingly concerned about the negative effects of the web, which has been blamed for school delinquency, teenage crime and youth suicide.

A recent survey by the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that teenagers are getting addicted to the internet at a younger age than in any other country. About 13% of users under the age of 18 played or chatted online for more than 38 hours a week - the definition of addiction. Last year, Shanghai opened the country's first shelter for addicts.

Many play online games at the country's 113,000 cybercafes, which are often portrayed in the media as a breeding ground for crime. The issue has been raised at this year's National People's Congress - the Chinese parliament. "It is common to see students from primary and middle schools lingering in internet bars overnight, puffing on cigarettes and engrossed in online games," NPC deputy Yu Wen was quoted as saying.

In January, President Hu Jintao ordered Chinese internet regulators to promote a "healthy online culture" to protect social stability.

Under regulations announced by the Xinhua news agency today, local governments will not be allowed to issue new internet cafe licenses this year. Businesses that have already received planning approval must be completed by June 30.

International free speech campaigners said the freeze was not just aimed at curbing addiction to online games, but restricting access to information about Tibet, Taiwan, Falun Gong and websites that expose China's human rights abuses.

"There is something more behind this," said Julien Pain of Reporters Without Borders. "When the authorities try to justify their internet policy, they always use the excuse of protecting children. But in China, this is not the whole story. They also block news websites."

He said the freeze appeared to be a new stage in a prolonged crackdown against small, independent new cybercafes, which are harder to control than large chains.

"At the big chains, the government can insist that IDs be shown for all users, certain words be blocked and monitoring software be installed. But when you are looking at thousands of small cybercafes, it become much more difficult."

Since 2002, the government has tightened regulations and closed down thousands of small internet cafes.