China shuts down Internet cafes before exam

BEIJING: Many provinces in China are forcing Internet cafes to shut down in order to allow students to prepare for their upcoming National College Entrance Examination.

The local governments of Linxian county in Shanxi province and Linchuan district in Jiangxi province have asked internet cafes to "temporarily cease trading" till June 9 and warned that fines would be levied if they refuse to comply, China Daily reported citing a statement in people.com.cn.

This is the first time the regions are seeking to enforce the ban.

"What we're doing is reasonable, although it's not legally allowed, as it does override the Internet manager's administrative power," Xiong Guanghui, an official with the Linchuan Culture Bureau, was quoted as saying.

"But we're doing this for the sake of Linchuan's education," he said.