China continues stringent crackdown on pornographic, illegal publications

China has continued to intensify its crackdown on cultural products containing pornographic or illegal content.

In 2022, the country's law enforcement agencies handled more than 13,000 cases involving the production and distribution of such illegal materials, with more than 4,000 individuals penalized, according to statistics from the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications.

It said that over 18 million publications containing such unlawful content were confiscated.

Relevant authorities have also exerted considerable effort to curb the dissemination of illegal information online, focusing particularly on websites, apps and other online content aimed at children in order to safeguard them from exposure to harmful material, according to the national office.