The Ministry of Culture said Saturday that there were more than 156,000 Internet cafes in the nation as of the end of March, with about 14,000 running illegally. The ministry said authorities revoked permits of more than 2,000 Internet cafes in 2014, without giving further details.
Internet cafes are often forced to close due to violations of the law, including allowing minors to use their services. While urban cafes mostly abide by the law, many in the outskirts and rural areas, where supervision is slack, choose profits over compliance.
The ministry has launched a three-month campaign against Internet cafes open to minors after three teen suspects were found hiding in one following the killing of a teacher in Hunan Province last month.
The campaign also aims to spot establishments that fail to provide a clean and spacious environment for customers, vowing to punish owners by revoking their licenses in severe cases.
In order to help Internet cafes improve their image, the ministry issued a proposal to upgrade services last year. More than 20 billion yuan (about 3.14 billion U.S. dollars) has been invested in the sector in the past year to aid the process, according to data from the ministry.
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