A proposal to ban children from watching violent, sexually explicit or other unsuitable movies at the cinema has provoked hot debate in China.

Most in the movie business agree on the need for a rating system for children, but some dissenting voices remain.

Screenwriter Wang Xingdong proposed in March that the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) rate movies according to three categories -- all ages admitted, 15 years and over only admitted, and 18 years and over admitted.

He argues the system is necessary to protect youngsters from graphic sex and violence on screen.

This month, Wang received a reply from the administration saying it plans to develop such a system. But it gave no details of when it would be established or how movies would be rated.

Jia Leilei, a movie industry observer and research fellow with the China Arts Research Institute, said he supports the idea of a movie classification system.

"It is of course a good thing for the movie industry's development,'' Jia said.

He said many in the industry have made similar suggestions to the administration over the years.

Famous film directors, such as Zhang Yimou and Feng Xiaogang, also back the proposal, saying the rating system will protect artists' creative freedom.

"And China did have a type of rating system before,'' Jia said.

In March 1989, the administration issued a circular ruling that some movies should be classified as "not suitable for juveniles.''

The circular said ratings should apply to four types of movies-- movies that deal with rape, theft, taking or selling drugs or prostitution; violent movies; sexually explicit movies; and movies showing distorted social relations.

However, the classification system did not stop children from watching the films, because many cinema owners claimed ignorance of the circular. Instead, the movies categorized as unsuitable for children often advertised the rating, earning bigger box office returns as a consequence.

"I am afraid the new rating system will see the same result,'' said one mother He Ling.

"Once these movies (with sexually explicit and violent scenes) can be shown in cinemas legally after the system is set up, some theatres may not be able to resist the lure of profits and may sell tickets to youngsters to these restricted movies, which are a bad influence on them,'' she said.

The Hollywood movie Saving Private Ryan is cited by some as a good example of the need for a classification regime.

The movie is rated "Not for sale to persons under age 18'' in the United States. But in China, children of any age could watch its bloody war scenes at the cinema.

"The result is many children may not speak English well, but they are fluent in English swear words that they learn from imported movies,'' said Lu Ying, a teacher.

Many countries and regions, such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, France, Iran and China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region have set up classification systems.

Jia said a movie rating system would inevitably be introduced in China in the future.

An online poll organized by Sina.com showed that over 90 per cent of the 27,066 people surveyed supported a rating system. Only 7 per cent, or 1,895 people, said "no'' to the system. The remaining 709 survey respondents were undecided.

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