Severe punishment for food-safety crimes ranked No 1 in public approval on a list of 14 actions taken by the country's courts in 2013, the Supreme People's Court announced on Thursday.

Cooperating with People's Daily and its official news portal people.com.cn, the top court asked Internet users to vote in an online poll for the judicial actions they supported most, said Sun Jungong, the press secretary of the top court.

The monthlong poll was designed to find out what people expect of the country's courts in coming years, he said. More than 400,000 netizens participated.

Punishment of sexual abuse of minors and rectifying unjust or false charges also received wide support among netizens.