BEIJING, December 27: China has launched a new campaign against publications with ``serious political problems,'' the official China Daily said on Saturday.The `winter action,' officially launched on Friday to run until the end of March, will ``ban reactionary, pornographic publications, curb the smuggling and piracy of publications and audio-visual products, and boost the healthy development of the country's cultural market,'' a senior official told the English-language daily.``Publications with serious political problems have appeared in a number of places,'' said Yu Youxian, administrator of the State Press and Publication Administration.He said the drive against illegal publications, particularly against factories producing pirate video compact discs, had improved through the use of ``paid reporting,'' a system he would be expanding.The National Anti-Pornography Office also announced it was setting up two hotlines open 24 hours-a-day to encourage people to inform publishers about illegal material.It said people who reported cases would be rewarded and protected from any reprisal.Yu said the winter offensives organised since 1990 have brought ``noticeable achievements''.The last offensive brought the seizure of 12.61 million printed publications, 6.48 million audio and video cassettes and 1.86 pirated video compact discs, he said. More than 1,000 printers were shut down as well as eight publishing houses.``Yet there are still problems in the publication market'' and ``the smuggling of porno video and electronic products is rampant in some areas,'' he said.According to the Custom General Administration 9.12 million audio visual tapes or publications were seized in the first 11 months of the year.The Chinese Communist Party called for severe punishments of the authors of clandestine publications.``Forceful measures must be introduced to ensure a stable, prosperous publication market and to contribute to a peaceful and united society,'' said Liu Zhongde, vice-director of the Propaganda Department of the party's central committee.``Some serious cases must be handled as quickly as possible and all units and individuals involved must be punished,'' he added.China's Ambassador to the United Nations signed an international convention in October on economic, social and cultural rights, shortly before Chinese President Jiang Zemin's visit to the US.Beijing warned the text of the convention would only apply after it was ratified by the Chinese Parliament, which has yet to consider the document.Under pressure from the US, China has taken steps to tackle violations of Intellectual Property Rights. But Washington, which has said Beijing's efforts are insufficient, is refusing to admit the country to the World Trade Organisation.
