Massive crackdown on China's cyber cafes

Police have begun a massive crackdown across China on illegal Internet cafes

(CNN) -- Several tens of thousands of police and other officials have swooped down on Internet cafes throughout China in the wake of a fire in an illegal cyber cafe which killed 24 students in Beijing.

The operation, in more than 20 provinces and cities, dwarfs many recent law-and-order offensives against hard core criminal gangs.

Official media in Beijing reported on Tuesday that a large majority of the nation's estimated 200,000 cyber facilities might be closed permanently.

Only a small proportion of the cafes, where college students and other urban residents get much of the news about the outside world, will be issued new licenses to continue operation.(Full story)

CNN NewsPass VIDEO CNN's Jaime Florcruz reports on the aftermath of a fire that killed 24 people in a Beijing Internet cafe. Play video   MORE STORIES Beijing closes all cyber cafes  Tragedy could spark stiffer net laws    AUDIO Internet cafe inspections began days before the fire. CNN's Jaime Florcruz reports 2.38 MB / 1 min 53 secs WAV sound   FOCUS China:Safety last?    More by Willy Wo-Lap Lam Eye on China archive

CCTV's Tuesday newscast said officials from police, culture, fire, and IT departments in provinces and cities including Guangdong, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Hunan, Jilin, Jiangsu and Shanghai were out on the streets inspecting Internet cafes.

It reported that officials were checking on the cyber cafes' licenses and fire-safety standards as well as the qualifications of staff.

Newspapers in Guangzhou, Guangdong reported that of the more than 1,000 Web cafes operating in the city, only 70 had proper licenses or fire-safety facilities.

Authorities in different cities have also asked residents to report so-called "black" or illegal, Internet cafes.

The official China News Service reported on Tuesday that within little more than a day after the fatal fire broke out, 162 Beijing residents had filed complaints to police about illegal or dangerous cyber outlets.

Web bar owner surrenders

Meanwhile, the owner of the Blue High-Speed Web Bar, where the fatal fire took place, surrendered to Beijing police Monday afternoon.

Zheng Wenjing, 36, a businessman, told police he had opened the Internet cafe in late May without getting proper licenses from the police or cultural departments.

Western diplomats in Beijing said this was a good opportunity for Chinese authorities to crack down on cyber outlets, deemed a threat to national security.

The diplomats have heard reports that while police are monitoring the safety standards of Web facilities, they also check on the political correctness of the software and programs available in these facilities.