China bans children from cybercafes

The regulations, reported by the official Xinhua news agency on Friday, came four months after a fire at a Beijing cybercafe that killed 25 people--mostly students--who were locked inside.

The new rules also prevent the construction of cybercafes within about 650 feet of elementary and middle schools, said Xinhua's Web site.


China forced thousands of Internet cafes across the country to close for inspections, in a drive to clean up the unregulated industry after the June blaze. Two juveniles were later sentenced to life in prison for lighting the fire.

In the wake of the fire, state media printed volumes of commentary and letters from angry parents across the country, some claiming their children became "zombies" who wasted their time and money in cybercafes and video game parlors.

At the time, authorities said some 90 percent of Internet cafes in Beijing were unlicensed