China maintains tough crackdown on human trafficking in 2016

BEIJING -- China maintained a tough crackdown on human trafficking in 2016, according to the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

Over the past year, China has cracked 184 cases in joint anti-trafficking operations with Vietnam, with 290 suspects arrested and 207 Vietnamese women and one child rescued, the MPS said.

According to the MPS, China has signed inter-governmental anti-trafficking agreements with Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. A total of eight anti-trafficking liaison offices have been established along borders with these countries.

In a campaign against the trafficking of hearing-impaired people, police in 13 provincial regions arrested 464 suspects and saved 98 victims between November 2015 and October 2016, the MPS said.

A total of 1,274 missing children have been found over the past year following the launch of an app in May 2016.

The app helps to ensure efficient sharing of information with the public by sending push notifications about missing children, including photos and descriptions. The app also encourages witnesses to report the whereabouts of these children, the MPS said.

In order to let information reach more people, the MPS app has formed a cooperative partnership with mainstream new media and mobile applications, including Taobao, Baidu and QQ.

During the period, 110 billion items of information about 1,317 missing children were sent, according to the MPS.

The MPS released a notice in February that announced it would solve 153 cases of child trafficking in 2017.

A MPS official said police authorities nationwide will continue carrying out the action plan for fighting human trafficking (2013-2020) publicized in 2013.