With an order given by Li Xiaojie, chief of publicity department of Gansu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), workers set fire to 1.06 million pirated audio and video products, alongside other illegal publications in the suburbs of Lanzhou, the provincial capital, on Saturday morning.

 

The torching of the contraband was part of a nationwide action on Saturday to culminate China's spring campaign designed to clean up pornography and crack down on illegal publications in the country.

 

Altogether 42 million pieces of audio and video discs, and illegal publications were destroyed in the country's 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities on Saturday morning, according to Long Xinmin, chief of the State Press and Publication Administration.

 

"Through the act of destruction, we wish to show to the world the firm determination of the Chinese Government in protecting intellectual property and being firm against any infringement of intellectual property rights and piracy, and to improve the awareness of the general public in fighting against pornography and illegal publications," said Long at a special function organized in Beijing to mark the start of the action.

 

Long also serves as chief of China National Copyright Administration.

 

Jiang Zengwei, vice minister of commerce and also head of the state working group for intellectual property protection, said China had been making persistent efforts to protect IPR to meet the needs for its own development rather than from pressure from abroad.

 

Out of the missive number of illegal publications destroyed on Saturday, smuggled and pirated audio, video, software, electronic publications made up 30 million, and pirated and illegally published books and magazines totaled 11 million.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 14, 2007)