Officials hail safer country under legislation

China has become one of the safest countries in the world thanks to robust legislation aimed at safeguarding national security and a sustained crackdown on crime, officials said on Friday.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), China's efforts to combat violations and offenses have been intensified, resulting in a 25.7 percent decrease in criminal cases filed in 2024 compared with the previous year, said Yin Bai, secretary-general of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. "Our country has been widely recognized as one of the safest across the world," Yin said at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office.

To guarantee national security and maintain social stability, multiple laws have been enacted over the past five years, including those on data security, foreign relations and the coast guard, and measures taken against foreign sanctions and organized crimes, said Shen Chunyao, head of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

Other major laws, such as the Supervision Law, the Criminal Law and the Counter-Espionage Law, have been amended during the period to further ensure national security, Shen said.

While expanding and refining the legislative toolbox in the security field, Chinese courts have focused on combating organized crimes, telecom fraud and cyberbullying, said He Xiaorong, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, adding that more than 5.23 million criminal cases were concluded in the past five years. "Figures have demonstrated the judiciary's firm commitment to safeguarding national security and social stability. They've also underscored the judicial role in providing strong support for building a safer and more law-abiding China," he said.

In addition, Chinese police have taken steps to improve security-related regulations and standardize enforcement actions, said Vice-Minister of Public Security Yang Weilin. "We've contributed to formulating laws to address new security issues, such as telecom fraud, and collaborated with the top court and the top procuratorate to release a series of guidelines to crack down on online rumors, cyberbullying and cross-border gambling," Yang said.

He added that video, audio recording and digital monitoring have been introduced in case handling, including on-site law enforcement and interrogations, to ensure greater transparency in police affairs. "We'll continue improving law enforcement methods and enhance our enforcement capabilities, making every effort to help build a safer and law-abiding country."