China mulls better protection of minors from ads

BEIJING - China's top legislature on Monday began reviewing a draft amendment to the 20-year-old Advertisement Law that will better protect minors from advertisements.

The draft amendment was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) for a second reading during its bimonthly session, which runs from Monday to Sunday.

"(Advertisements) should not include content to induce minors to ask their parents to buy products or services and should not include content that may cause minors to imitate unsafe behaviors, " said the draft amendment.

It also stipulated that minors under the age of 10 should not be chosen as advertising endorsers.

Additionally, it prohibits advertising in high schools, primary schools and kindergartens as well as direct or indirect ads on education-related materials, such as textbooks, stationery, school uniforms and school buses.

The draft amendment also introduces stricter bans on tobacco ads. Instead of enumerating specific public venues where tobacco ads would be banned, the new edition directly lists "public venues, the vicinity of hospitals and schools, and public transport facilities."

It also bans outdoor and display window tobacco ads.

"Advertisements for other products or services and public service ads should not include the brand, trademark, packaging, design and similar contents of tobacco products," it said.

An Jian, Vice Director of the NPC Law Committee, said that according to the provisions, all forms of tobacco ads will be banned except for those posted and displayed in tobacco product shops and sent by tobacco producers internally to tobacco product shops.

It stipulates that "adverts for drugs, health food, medical equipment and medical services should not use pharmaceutical research organizations, academic institutions, medical institutions, industry associations, experts, patients or other endorsers to recommend or testify about the effects of the products."

Monday's edition of the bill also bans the use of the army flag, army emblem and army song in advertisements, in addition to the national flag, national emblem and national song.

The draft amendment now covers online advertising, stipulating that it should abide by the provisions of the law.