The Chinese government is to tighten supervision to ensure a "clean" publications market for the upcoming new year and the Spring Festival.

The national anti-pornography and anti-piracy office has ordered local governments to clean up the publications market for the holidays and the annual sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Local departments should repeatedly check markets at busy areas, tourist sites, hotels where the deputies will be staying, airports and train stations, the order said.

Pornography and illegal and pirated publications should be confiscated and street vendors, distributors or unlicensed business operators should be shut down, it said.

Earlier this month, the authorities launched a campaign to strengthen daily supervision of the video, software and publication markets.

The order urged local departments to trace producers of pirated movies, books and software and break their distribution chains.

It also warned the Customs offices to strictly monitor overseas publications.

China's top legislators are considering ratification of two treaties with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in a bid to fight against piracy on the Internet.

The WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty were submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress at the start of a week-long session due to end Friday.

(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2006)