A total of 300,000 pirated or pornographic books were destroyed in a public function held in the Chinese capital of Beijing on Wednesday.

The books were confiscated from the streets of the national capital since early this year. The public function was jointly organized by the Municipal Office for Eradication of Pornographic Publications, the General Brigade for Administration of Public Order with the Municipal Bureau of Public Security and the Municipal Bureau for Press and Publications.

The move constitutes a vital activity waged by Beijing police to crack down on porn and illegal publications and in pushing forward the summer campaign designed to improve public security in Beijing, said an official with the General Brigade for Administration of Public Order.

"It has demonstrated the resolve of the public security departments in keeping a firm hand against illegal activities related to production and trafficking of porn publications, and in intensifying the promotion socialist ethics and cultural development in the capital city," said the official.

Since the beginning of the year, public security forces in Beijing uprooted 28 production facilities and detained a total of 752 suspects involved.

Meanwhile, more than 2 million illegal publications have been seized, including about 100,000 pornographic books and compact discs.

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2003)