China has issued a government order barring the opening of any more internet cafes this year, reports the state news agency Xinhua. According to the report, 14 government authorities issued the notice.

The notification also cracks down on online gambling Xinhua said the new restrictions were part of a campaign to combat the rising problem of internet addiction. Earlier, China had minors from internet cafes, and levies heavy penalties on operators who flout these regulations.

In January, president Hu Jintao ordered Chinese internet regulators to promote a "healthy online culture" to protect the government's stability. The government encourages internet use for education or business purposes, but has faced criticism from Western bodies for censoring whatever it deems subversive or offensive.

The government has denied these charges saying its regulation of the internet was in line with the rest of the world.

China currently has about 113,000 internet cafes and bars.

According to Chian's ministry of information industry the number internet users in China has grown by 30 per cent over the last year, to 132 million, which could lead it overtake the US online population in the next two years.