China is urging the mass media to give more coverage to public awareness advertisements as part of the efforts to promote ethics and culture in society.

China's Ministry of Publicity, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and two other departments called on China's media to increase public awareness advertisement during prime time TV programs, in newspapers and along major road routes.

Such advertisements hope to draw the public's attention to social issues and problems such as environmental protection and AIDS.

Since China started to promote public awareness advertisement nationwide in 1996, some 70,000 ads have been prominently placed on television, in newspapers and magazine and on billboards.