Almost a month after the authorities closed all internet cafes in China for safety checks following a fire at a cafe in Beijing that killed 25 people, 30 of the capital's 2,400 internet cafes reopened for business in July. Their owners issued a public statement saying that they would comply with the regulations on internet safety issued by the Ministry of Information Industry by refusing entry to people under 18, banning smoking, closing between midnight and 8am and abiding by fire safety measures.
Meanwhile, the government has issued new rules for text and audio-visual material published on the internet. The new regulations, due to come into effect on August 1, limit the number and structure of web publishers and provide for their supervision and punishment in cases of transgression.