The sudden death of a 14-year-old boy at a factory in Foshan city, Guangdong province, has triggered a citywide campaign against the exploitation of child laborers in the Pearl River Delta hub.

The campaign, which started on Monday, was launched by the Foshan bureau of human resources and social security and aims to protect young workers in the densely populated production base in the southern province.

Labor-intensive manufacturing industries - including the garment, shoe, food and metal industries - plus hotels and restaurants will be the major targets of the special campaign, according to a statement from the bureau.