China plans to extend movie content ban

Updated: 2011-12-15 17:23

By Gao Qihui (chinadaily.com.cn)

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China is considering extending a list of subjects banned in movies under a draft bill prepared by the State Council, Legal Daily reported Thursday.

The new regulations will prohibit films which undermine China's laws, glorify crime or drug abuse.

The current list of ten banned subjects, which took effect in February 2002, will be increased to 13 under the proposed bill.

The newly added banned subjects are “those instigating others to resist against or undermine the enforcement of the constitution, laws and administrative regulations; those publicizing religious fanaticism, endangering religious harmony, harming the religious emotion of believers, undermining the unity between religious believers and non-believers; those publicizing drug abuse, playing up horror, teaching techniques of committing crime, infringing the legal rights of underage people or harming the physical and mental health of the underage.”

The proposed new regulations do not include a film rating system that would classify films with regard to suitability for audiences, a controversial topic in China.

But the bill does prohibit pre-movie adverts from being screened after the start time printed on ticket.

The move comes after the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) announced that from 2012, adverts would be prohibited during television dramas and banned 19 companies from providing TV shopping programs.