Shenzhen is taking high-tech measures to control legal Internet bars while closing illegal ones.

More than 300 legal Internet bars Monday began installing new monitoring software which will enable a special surveillance team with the Shenzhen Municipal Culture Bureau to detect in 20 minutes whether they are violating rules.

"There were more than 2,000 venues in the city offering Internet services when the city launched a campaign to crack down on illegal Internet bars Feb. 19," said a culture bureau official surnamed Chen.

The campaign, which is scheduled to last until August, aims at providing a healthy environment for young people. "So far, only 329 bars have been licensed after going through a second registration with relevant government authorities," Chen said. "We're now requiring all of them to finish the software installation by the end of this week."

Statistics show that around 1,000 illegal bars throughout the city have been closed.

"However, those venues offering illegal Internet services outside the special economic zone don't seem to be affected at all," said Luo Shurong, a teacher with the Shiyan Public School in Shiyan Township in Bao'an District.

Government authorities have given out their phone numbers to encourage the public to report offences.

(Shenzhen Daily April 7, 2004)