Production of XXX movies banned in China

BEIJING, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Chinese movie studios risk losing permission to shoot films if they produce hardcore sex movies.

China's censors, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, also banned erotic movie producers, directors or actors from competing for any film awards or taking part in any such awards, Xinhua reported.

Along with banning depictions of hardcore sexual activity and rape, the censors are restricting vulgar language and song lyrics, as well as sound effects with sexual connotations, Xinhua said.

The Beijing News quoted the ordinance as saying "The heaviest punishment for such violation would lead to a five-year ban of perpetrators from the movie industry," the state-run news agency reported.

The censors warned all major studios and local regulators to "bear their own responsibility in correcting the wrong deeds of producing erotic movies. Violating studios might face the harshest punishment of revoking permits for shooting films."