Why more people feel safe in China: The role of law and governance

A dramatic highway pursuit in northeast China's Jilin Province recently looked like a scene from a crime movie – but it was a real police operation targeting an online fraud group.

The case began when a man surnamed Li was lured into a scam through a fake dating website and lost nearly 80,000 yuan (about $11,000) through cash payments and bank transfers.

After detecting the suspicious activity, police tracked down the suspects and eventually dismantled the criminal group behind the scheme.

In recent years, as technology develops, criminal activities have also evolved.

Traditional organized crime is increasingly intertwined with internet-based crimes, creating new challenges for law enforcement.

To address these threats, China has continued to strengthen efforts against organized crime and illegal activities that directly affect people's daily lives.

In 2018, China launched a three-year nationwide campaign against organized crime and criminal gangs.

Official data showed that police nationwide dismantled 3,644 criminal organizations and more than 11,600 criminal groups during the campaign.

Since 2021, the fight has entered a regularized phase.

In July this year, Chinese authorities launched a new nationwide campaign to deepen efforts against organized crime.

The latest campaign placed particular emphasis on new forms of crime emerging in the digital era, including online extortion, illegal lending, unlawful debt collection and other internet-based fraud schemes.

"With the rapid development of digital technology, traditional organized crime and internet-based crimes are becoming increasingly intertwined," a senior official with China's Commission for Political and Legal Affairs told People's Daily.

"We must focus on crimes that people are most concerned about and most strongly oppose, solve major cases and allow people to feel secure in their daily lives." From fighting crime to protecting people's rights For China, the rule of law is not only about maintaining public order, but also about building a system that protects people's rights and improves the predictability of everyday life.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has advanced the construction of a safer society through science-based legislation, stronger law enforcement, improved supervision and expanded legal services.