An editorial in the English-language China Daily called for a complete ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) , saying the country made the commitment when it joined the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

China Daily, founded in 1981 and claiming a global circulation of about 800,000, is viewed by some observers as a gauge of official policy in China. The editorial author, Yiqing Wang, wrote, “China ratified the FCTC in 2005. Although the convention came into force in China in 2006, the ban on TAPS has not been satisfactory. The Advertising Law bans tobacco ads in only five types of mass media: radio, movies, TV, newspapers and magazines, leaving plenty of room for tobacco companies' to market their products”.
Wang says, “in December 2012, China issued the National Tobacco Control Plan 2012-15 as part of its commitment to ban TAPS. But some tobacco control professionals say the plan is not comprehensive enough and lacks practical and effective measures to guarantee a complete ban on TAPS”.