In Brief

Western regions declare war on pornography

A joint mechanism aimed at 'sweeping away pornography and cracking down on illegal publications' will be set up in five western regions and provinces, Xinhua reported. The regions are Tibet, Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan. Jiang Jianguo, the deputy leader of a national special taskforce that is responsible for eliminating pornography and illegal publications, told a meeting in Lhasa that all relevant departments had to intensify the fight against harmful publications and track down their source. He also called on officials to protect national security and create an orderly cultural environment ahead of the celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the People's Republic on October 1. Staff Reporter