Restaurants exempt from smoking ban

Beijing restaurants, bars and Internet cafes have been exempted from a proposed smoking ban at public venues in response to concerns expressed by business owners.

The venues will only be asked to separate smoking and non-smoking areas from May 1 as part of the new regulation.

Zhang Peili, an official with the municipal government's legislative affairs office who is supervising the promulgation of the rule, said the changes were approved last week.