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You are listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing.
Beijing has been honored by the World Health Organization on World No Tobacco Day for the city's new smoking ban, which took effect on June 1.
The new ban, the toughest to date in the country, prohibits smoking in all the city's indoor public places, workplaces, and on public transport.
The World Health Organization applauded Beijing for its strong and determined leadership in protecting the health of its people by making public places smoke-free.
According to the World Health Organization, Beijing's law is compliant with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and when fully implemented, it will have a major impact on the health of millions of residents in the city.
Following the ban, the Beijing international airport closed its smoking rooms in the terminals and opened 11 outdoor smoking spaces. New outdoor smoking areas are available at more than 600 bus stops around the city.
Residents can report indoor smoking in public venues, and law enforcement officers will patrol Beijing's roads to help implement the regulation.
As the world's largest tobacco producer and consumer, China has more than 300 million smokers, almost the size of the U.S. population. Another 740 million people are exposed to second-hand smoke each year.
More than one million Chinese people die from smoking-related diseases annually.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.
Chinese police have publicly piloted an internet inspection arm which has long been operated behind the scenes. It's in a bid to further combat cybercrime.
Starting on June 1, internet police in 50 Chinese cities launched their own accounts on popular social networking services including Weibo and Wechat. The cities include Beijing and Shanghai as well as small cities in remote and poor areas.
On an around the clock basis, cyber police are tasked with sniffing out illegal and harmful information on the internet, preventing cybercrime and guarding against improper words and deeds online.
They will give warnings to those suspected with committing minor offences and help investigate law violations in more serious cases.
A statement from the public security ministry said police nationwide will set up their own internet inspection forces on the basis of the pilot program.
China has been tightening their grip on the internet particularly over the past couple of years.
