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China will ban all cigarette advertising, promotion and sponsorship in the middle of next year if a global agreement on tobacco control is passed by China's top legislative body early in 2004.

Though the move may hurt the cigarette industry, medical experts are pleased as they have been seeking a smoking ban for a long time.

Wang Guangya, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, signed the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control last week in New York, making China the 77th member country to control tobacco.

The framework, which aims at protecting public health and reducing tobacco consumption, stipulates that each tobacco product sold in the member countries should contain warning messages over half of the packaging area of the packet. It also urges governments to raise the price and tax rate on tobacco products.

The member countries should also ban all tobacco advertising and should enhance education on the dangers of smoking on health and the environment.

"It is a global act and China, as the largest tobacco consumer market, will strictly carry out the regulations," said a government official surnamed Li with the Ministry of Health.

"Currently we are discussing the implementation of the rules and wait for the vote of the National People's Congress,'' Li said. "It will probably take place in March or April 2004 (when the NPC is in session), and the law will take effect 90 days after it is passed."

"Since the government fully supports the guidelines of the convention, it is most likely that the convention will be passed," Li added.

China's 350-million smoking population comprises one-third of the world's smokers. The tobacco industry generated 130 billion yuan (US$15.7 billion) profits and tax in the first nine months of this year. It is expected to hit 160 billion yuan for this year, according to Zheng Fugang, secretary-general of the China Tobacco Society.

Last year, the industry contributed 10 percent of the country's total tax revenue.

"The convention has strict rules on tobacco manufacturing, advertising and trading. It will deal a heavy blow to China's tobacco business," Zheng said. "However, the convention also bans smuggling, illegal manufacturing and counterfeiting of tobacco products. That might be positive for the industry."

No official from the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration was available for comment.

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