Authorities in Beijing have instructed more than 8,000 busy public places in the city to use both Chinese and English for emergency broadcasts, a municipal work safety official said yesterday.
  
This is part of a new regulation on the safety of public places adopted by the Beijing municipal government.

In an emergency busy public places like shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, swimming pools, skiing areas and other entertainment venues should broadcast in both languages, said Zhou Yuqiu, head of the municipal work safety bureau.

Zhou said enterprises would be fined 5,000 to 20,000 yuan (US$640-2,561) or closed if they didn't have the bilingual emergency broadcasts by April 1 when the regulation takes effect.

The regulation also stipulates that 24-hour emergency lighting and exit signs are also now compulsory for these public places. Entertainment venues must install closed-circuit TV and monitoring systems. 

(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2007)