China said Thursday it shut more than 60,000 pornographic websites in the first 11 months of the year, greatly improving the Internet's cultural environment.

Wang Chen, director of the Information Office of the State Council, told a press conference that the country eliminated about 350 million pieces of bawdy, pornographic and indecent Internet content in text, picture and video form.

China launched a special campaign in Dec. 2009 to boost Internet security and remove pornographic and vulgar content from the Internet, including the mobile Internet.

The campaign has led to the investigation of 2,197 criminal cases and the punishment of 4,965 criminals.

Some 58 offenders were sentenced to prison terms of over five years.

Wang said the hard-won achievements further purified the Internet and that the country will continue its efforts in this regard.

The government values the role of the Internet and is willing to read public opinion through the Internet, he said, noting that the country will also try to regulate Internet order and promote the development of Internet culture, in a bid to create a healthy Internet environment for the public.