China arrested 720,000 people last year, a 50% increase. Hostile forces have focused on infiltration, subversion and division

A report from China's Supreme People's Procuratorate shows that last year, it approved the arrest of 726,000 suspects of various crimes and prosecuted 1.688 million people, a year-on-year increase of 47.1% and 17.3% respectively. Among them, 25 are former provincial and ministerial level cadres. The report stated that last year’s “crackdown” campaign focused on “enemy, sabotage, subversion, and separatist activities by hostile forces.”

China’s top prosecutor arrested or prosecuted more than 2.4 million people last year on the grounds of national security

Li Qiang's work report mentioned "security" 29 times and confirmed the responsibility system of the Chairman of the Central Military Commission

The Supreme People's Procuratorate opened cases to investigate 1,849 judicial officers for duty-related crimes, a year-on-year increase of 33.6%

At the National People's Congress of China, Ying Yong, Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, disclosed in his report on the work of the Supreme People's Procuratorate last week that it is necessary to "resolutely safeguard national security and social stability" and approved the arrest of 726,000 criminal suspects of various types last year. There were 1.688 million public prosecutions, a year-on-year increase of 47.1% and 17.3% respectively. The report focused on last year's "severe crackdown on infiltration, sabotage, subversion and separatist activities by hostile forces."

“Hostile forces” become the focus of judicial crackdowns

Regarding the nearly 50% increase in the number of suspects arrested by the High Procuratorate throughout last year, Lu Lu, co-founder of the Beijing-based non-governmental organization Yi Renping Center, said in an interview with Radio Free Asia on Monday that this rapid increase may be related to the decline in China's economy that triggers mass incidents. He said: "The explosive growth of these numbers is either because social resistance has increased compared with the previous year, or the Communist Party itself, which holds the knife, feels a crisis, or they want to cater to the highest authorities to maintain stability, catch spies, etc. It may be due to these two reasons .”

Lu Jun, who has been engaged in public welfare activities for a long time, said that over the years, many volunteers participating in public welfare organizations in China have been arrested by the authorities and even sentenced: "They are like this in the public welfare field, and it is even more conceivable in other fields. The so-called It’s total nonsense according to the law.”

In terms of anti-corruption, the High Procuratorate’s report disclosed that last year, 20,000 people were referred by supervisory committees at all levels for duty-related crimes, a year-on-year increase of 9.3%; 18,000 people have been prosecuted, including 25 former provincial and ministerial level cadres.

Zhang Jun, President of the Supreme People's Court, mentioned in the "Supreme People's Court Work Report" that last year, 24,000 cases of official crimes such as corruption and bribery were concluded, involving 27,000 people, a year-on-year increase of 19.9%. The High Court's work report also emphasizes "national security." The report states that "implement the overall national security concept and severely crack down on infiltration, sabotage, subversion, and separatist activities by hostile forces. Liang Chengyun and others who engage in espionage activities will be punished in accordance with the law to form a powerful deterrent."

Economic recession, unemployment increases, crime surges

Cheng Xiaofeng, a former criminal police officer at the Public Security Bureau of Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, said in an interview with this station that the increase in social problems in China has led to an increase in criminal cases: "Because various social problems are emerging one after another, 2024 has become a landmark year, which heralds our domestic It has begun to enter a state of social unrest, so the officially released crime rate data can also explain the problem, because the people are living a very hard life, which is also a true reflection of the social state."

China's Supreme Court reported that last year, 52,000 cases of serious violent crimes such as intentional homicide were concluded, involving 62,000 people, a year-on-year increase of 17.2%; 24,000 cases of corruption and bribery and other official-related crimes were concluded, involving 27,000 people, a year-on-year increase of 19.9%. A total of 5,695 personal safety protection orders of various types were issued, a year-on-year increase of 41.5%. According to the high prosecutor’s report, 51,000 people were prosecuted for telecommunications and network fraud, a year-on-year increase of 66.9%. These data show that after three years of the epidemic, with the economic depression and the increase in unemployment, social crimes are growing rapidly.

When it comes to this year’s work goals, the High Procuratorate’s report stated that it will “severely punish crimes endangering national security, serious violent crimes, major drug crimes and serious economic crimes” as well as in-depth crackdowns on telecommunications and network fraud crimes.