Most Internet cafes in China to be chains in three years
( 2003-10-27 15:50) (people.com)
The majority of local
Internet cafes, currently exceeding 110,000 in the country, will be put under
the management of large chain store companies within three years, as part of
efforts by the Chinese government to rein in the fledgling and troublesome
business.
Liu Yuzhu, an official with the Ministry of Culture, said this Saturday at
the First China International Exposition on Online Culture being held in
Beijing.
In June 2002, some people set fire in a local Internet cafe, killing 25 and
injuring 13, which triggered a crackdown on unlicensed operations. As a result,
the number of Internet shops dropped from 200,000 to 110,000.
Less than 100 chain store operators will be set up in the future, to help
regulate and standardize the sector.
Not all of the Internet cafes will be chains, but the government will issue
relevant regulations to ensure the healthy operations of these individual shops,
according to the official.
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