BEIJING - China has launched a campaign to combat illegal social organizations, especially those taking advantage of national titles, from April to December, said a statement from the Ministry of Civil Affairs Sunday.

In recent years, many illegal social organizations have used words like "China" and "international" in their names and claimed to be attached to governmental organizations, according to the statement.

Fraudulent organizations have damaged the reputation of the Communist Party of China and the nation, caused financial losses for the public, and hurt the credibility of social organizations, it said.

According to the statement, the ministry has shutdown or dismissed over 300 illegal social organizations, and received more than 900 reports on illegal social organizations in the first quarter of this year.

China had about 702,000 social organizations as of the end of 2016, according to data released by the ministry last year.