Beijing said the sites, which include the Google and Baidu search engines, provided access to Web surfers looking for X-rated material.

The news agency Tuesday described Web porn as a violation of the law and against Chinese morals.

"The government will continue to expose, punish or even shut down those infamous Web sites that refuse to correct their wrongdoing," Cai Mingzhao, deputy director of the State Council Information Office, told reporters.

Google denied the implication it was responsible for the content of the Web sites it provides links to.