More than 800,000 illegal audio and video products were destroyed Sunday in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. Similar actions were also taken in 200 other major cities of the country in an effort to spread awareness of copyright protection and clean up the cultural market.

Local authorities in north China's Tianjin City destroyed more than 285,000 unlawful audio and video products Sunday, the official said.

In Shanghai, one of China's economic powerhouse, 80 boxes were filled with confiscated pirated video and audio products.

This is the largest crackdown on illegal audio and video products in China, the official said.

China has destroyed a total of 90 million such illegal products so far this year.

Such efforts will be continued to clean up the cultural market by eliminating smuggled, pirated or pornographic audio and video products, officials said.

(People's Daily December 03, 2001)