A man smokes a cigarette near a no-smoking sign in Huai'an, Jiangsu province, on Nov 25, 2014. [Photo/IC]

Smoking is a major health crisis in China, where more than 300 million smokers have made cigarettes part of the social fabric, and millions more are exposed to secondhand smoke. More than half of Chinese smokers buy cigarettes at less than five yuan ($0.8) a pack.

China's State Council, the country's cabinet, passed legislation last month banning tobacco ads in mass media, public places on public transport and outdoors. Many Chinese cities have banned smoking in outdoor public places, but enforcement has been lax.

Bright red banners have been posted around Beijing with anti-smoking messages. The city has also set up a hot line on which violators can be reported.

The names of people and companies who violate the rules more than three times will be posted on a government website for a month, the China Radio International said.

Anti-tobacco advocates said they were more confident in the government's will to enforce the bans after a series of tougher measures in recent months, including a bigger tobacco tax.

"We couldn't say this is the strongest law in the world," said Angela Pratt, of the World Health Organization's Tobacco Free Initiative. "But it's certainly up there with the strongest, in that there are no exemptions, no exceptions and no loopholes on the indoor smoking ban requirement."