On the heels of the government's announcement of closure of 1600 Internet cafes this year around the country, the Chinese Internet cafe industry is on the verge of a crisis. The industry itself says about 90% of its China-wide outlets are facing hard times.
Concerned officials from the Ministry of Culture have disclosed both during and after this past week's China Netcafe Industry Alliance Summit that some new measures and regulations favorable to the industry will soon be issued.
Some guidelines that are expected to be issued by the Ministry are allowing businesses to have later opening hours and also allowing people under 18 entrance to the Internet areas of the cafes. However the total number of cafes allowed to follow the new guidleines are expected to be low, as the Ministry will want to monitor activities in a small area first before opening up the new policies to all of China's Internet cafes.