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Beijing targets entertainment industry

China has issued strict guidelines that aim to clean-up the nation's increasingly seedy entertainment industry amid a rise in prostitution, gambling and drug use, state media said yesterday.

Government officials will be banned from opening karaoke bars, video game parlors and other entertainment venues, according to guidelines published by the People's Daily, the Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece.

Relatives of cultural and public security department officials, who are in charge of overseeing the entertainment industry, will also be banned from any involvement.

Officials caught running such businesses or not stopping their relatives from doing so will face punishment, including dismissal, according to the regulations issued by the State Council.

The rules, which will go into effect on March 1, also forbid gambling, prostitution and other illegal activities at the businesses.

They also will not be able to use pirated material, such as songs for karaoke bars or video games, and the content of the material cannot harm state security or incite ethnic hatred, the rules stipulate.

Venues will be banned from being located near residential areas, schools, libraries, hospitals and warehouses that store hazardous chemicals.

Operating from 2am to 8am will be forbidden, while minors will be banned from working at or visiting the sites. Security must also be increased.
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