Chinese Government Agency Confiscated over 200,000,000 "Illegal Publications" in 2004

Xinhua reports that according to China's National Sweep Away Pornography and Strike Down Illegal Publications Task Force, Chinese authorities seized over 200,000,000 "Illegal Publications" in 2004. The confiscations were made as part of the "Sweep Away Pornography and Strike Down Illegal Publications" campaign that China's government launched 16 years ago. Although the report focused on the anti-pornography and intellectual property protection aspects of the campaign, in fact the campaign is an extension of the Chinese authorities' attempts to ensure that the Communist Party and the government retain control over all publishing in China. For example, last November Xinhua reported that China's government had banned 60 publications as part of the campaign, and that titles of the banned publications included: "Legal News," "China Education Magazine," and "Citizens and Law."