China's State Press and Publication Administration will strictly administer publications, outlawing Sino-overseas jointly-funded or cooperative businesses to engage in distribution and wholesale trade.

In the latest regulation on publications, the administration stipulates that general distributors, with minimum funds of 10 million yuan (1.2 million US dollars), must be under authorization of the state.

The state-owned or collective businesses with more than 500,000 yuan worth of funds could conduct wholesale trade.

Businesses or individuals having more than 100,000 yuan, including Sino-overseas jointly-funded or cooperative ones, could engage in retail transactions and distribution, the regulation said.

Without authorization for publication distribution or wholesale business, no enterprise may run online bookstores or carry out other on-line trade.

In addition, the state will severely punish violators who publish illegal or pirated publications.

Except for designated businesses, no one may distribute textbooks, important political documents or works of state leaders, the regulation said.

Statistics show that China has more than 2,000 newspapers and nearly 8,000 periodicals, as well as 560 publishing houses.

In the thriving electronic publication markets, 64 such publishing houses have generated output valued at several billion yuan. (Xinhua)