CHICAGO -- After anxiously waiting nearly five months, theaters in China did not get the exciting news they had been hoping for in mid-June but a devastating announcement instead: An instruction from Beijing's city officials suggested that cinemas, KTV karaoke clubs and other enclosed places of recreation should remain shut until further notice.
There had been a flash of good news on May 8, when the State Council of China issued an instruction that allowed theaters to reopen with precautions such as reservations and a limited audience, but many theaters were still waiting for local governments to give the green light to open.
