As War of the Worlds comes to China at the end of this month, Chinese distributors are recommending age limits for audiences, highlighting the urgency of establishing a movie rating system.

"We advise that children should watch the movie only accompanied by parents," said Liu Jianzhong, chairman of the board of Huaxia Film Company, the movie's Chinese distributor.

Liu said the idea was not suggested by the government.

Some imported blockbusters screened in the past, such as Saving Private Ryan and The Day After Tomorrow, were reported to have kids cry, drawing complaints from parents.

To the chagrin of producers and distributors, scary of sexy movies are often butchered by government censors.

"The movies we import have to be appropriate to both the old and young, which greatly reduces the selection range" said Weng Li, deputy general manager of the film exhibition and distribution arm of the China Film Group, one of China's movie importers, "If there were a rating system, things would be much easier.

Domestic tycoon filmmakers Zhang Yimou and Feng Xiaogang support film ratings.

"I felt very awkward shooting the film A World without Thieves (a film screened at the beginning of 2005), because I was telling a story of a group of thieves, which kids might imitate," said Feng Xiaogang, "So I had to put a policeman there to teach justice to minors."

Last year, Tong Gang, the official with the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, China's movie watchdog, said that China would introduce a film rating system by the end of 2005, which would be written into law in the following year.

(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2005)