System helps search for children

Chinese police have expanded an emergency response system to help find missing children faster.

The system is similar to the Amber Alert in the United States, which makes emergency broadcasts and releases information about missing children.

The latest version of the Chinese system, which now links to seven more apps, including Tencent's news service and bicycle-sharing service OFO, was put into operation on Wednesday.

"Fighting human trafficking is a common responsibility of society and I hope all walks of life will watch closely and help protect children," said Yang Dong, director of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security.

The ministry officially launched the system one year ago to better spread information about missing children, including their photos and physical characteristics, to encourage the public to offer clues.

The system, developed by e-commerce giant Alibaba, now connects with 21 apps from new media and mobile applications, the ministry said.

Since its launch in May last year, notifications have been released on 1,317 missing children, of whom 1,274 were found, according to the ministry.

"Most of these children had run away from home. Less than 5 percent were kidnapped," said Chen Shiqu, deputy director of the ministry's Criminal Investigation Bureau.

Yang said the police are gradually establishing a long-term mechanism to fight human trafficking.

"We have a zero-tolerance attitude toward traffickers and have taken effective measures, such as establishing a quick-response mechanism to search for missing children, and investigating children with suspicious identities," he said.

Liu Zhenfei, chief officer in Alibaba's security department, said on Wednesday that the company will continue working on the system, and is preparing to expand it to search for missing elderly people.