BEIJING - China has punished or closed more than 13,000 websites this year, the country's anti-pornography office said Tuesday.

More than 1,200 people have been convicted of deliberately spreading pornographic content online.

More than 4.2 million items have been deleted, according to Xue Songyan, deputy chief of the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications.

Launched by the office in cooperation with other central departments including the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Cyberspace Administration of China, the campaign has targeted online streaming and the use of instant messaging and cloud storage services to spread pornography.

Xue said authorities will continue their efforts in 2017 to create a cleaner cyberspace for young Internet users.