China removed more than 200 million items of "harmful" online information last year, according to the National Office for Cleaning Up Pornography and Fighting Illegal Publications.

The office's local branches also cracked down on more than 4,000 pornographic messages and 150 kinds of pornographic publications, cell phone novels and Internet games.

Last year, the country confiscated about 149 million pornographic, pirated and unauthorized publications.

Among these were 3.72 million pornographic publications, 3.2 million illegal newspapers and magazines, 3.36 million smuggled discs and 136 million pirated publications.

Law enforcement departments investigated more than 31,000 cases involving the production, sale and distribution of illegal publications in the past year, including 667 criminal cases.

The office said that the nationwide campaign launched last year against piracy, online pornography and illegal publications had achieved positive results.

(Xinhua News Agency February 8, 2008)