China should eliminate history-twisting online games – China National Radio

SHANGHAI, Aug. 14 (Reuters) – Chinese regulators should tighten control over online gambling and have “zero tolerance” on those who twist history, state-run China National Radio (CNR) said in a comment. on its website.

The remarks – the latest in a series of critical articles in Chinese state media – are likely to exacerbate fears that the video game industry will be the next to face regulatory action from consumers. national authorities.

An article that went viral this month called online games “spiritual opium,” adding that children were becoming addicted and calling for bigger brakes. He put the shares of Tencent Holdings Ltd (0700.HK) and other video game companies out of control.

Soon after, Tencent announced that it was introducing new limits on the time children spend on “Honor of Kings”, its most popular game.

A separate article said tax breaks for the industry should be removed.

CNR said games that distort history could mislead young people and cited an example of a game in which Yue Fei, a Chinese general and national hero of the Song Dynasty, was portrayed as a chapter member.

Chinese regulators have cracked down on a range of industries from real estate to tech to private tutoring, tearing up regulatory standards to promote socialist values ​​and curb what critics have called reckless capitalist expansion.

Reporting by Samuel Shen and Brenda Goh; Editing by Edwina Gibbs

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