Crime in the People's Republic of China
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Crime is present in various forms in the People's Republic of China. Common forms of crime include drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud, human trafficking, corruption, black marketeering, and circulation of fake currencies.
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[edit] History
The People's Republic of China was established in 1949 and from 1949 to 1956, the communist transformation of common ownership of the means of production was completed.[1] During this time, the new government destroyed the influence of the criminal gangs and cleared away narcotics[1] and gambling.[2] Crime rate significantly declined in the country because of these reforms.[2] During the period of 1949 to 1956, larceny, arson, rape, murder and robbery were major nonpolitical offenses.[2] The majority of the economic crimes were committed by the capitalists who refused to pay taxes, stole public property and engaged in bribery.[2] Some economic offenses were committed by government officials which included improperly taking public property and accepting bribes.[2] Between 1957 and 1965, no incidents of crime occurred in some rural ares and the level of public security was generally good.[2] Crime rates increased later. The year 1981 represented a peak in crime never seen before in the country.[3] Below is a comparison reported cases of crime from 1977 to 1988 (excluding economic crimes):[4]
| Year | 1977[4] | 1978[4] | 1979[4] | 1980[4] | 1981[4] | 1982[4] | 1983[4] | 1984[4] | 1985[4] | 1986[4] | 1987[4] | 1988[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of cases | 548,415 | 535,698 | 636,222 | 757,104 | 890,281 | 748,476 | 610,478 | 514,369 | 542,005 | 547,115 | 570,439 | 827,706 |
| Incidents of criminal case per 10,000 people | 5.8 | 5.6 | 6.6 | 7.7 | 8.9 | 7.4 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 7.5 |
Crime by youth increased rapidly in the 1980s. Crime by youths consisted 60.2% of total crime in 1983, 63.3% in 1984, 71.4% in 1985, 72.4% in 1986, and 74.3% in 1987.[4] The number of fleeing criminals increased over the years.[5] Economic crimes have increased in recent years.[5] From 1982 to 1988, the total number of economic crimes were 218,000.[5] In 1989, a total of 76,758 cases of economic offenses were registered which included bribery, smuggling and tax evasion.[5] The changes in economic policy had influence in the characteristics of criminality.[6] Since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, crime has increased and diversified.[6]
[edit] Current situation
Although the PRC has authoritarian regime led by the Communist Party of China, the power of the criminals is also strong enough[7] and corruption is prevalent among government employees.[7] The criminal organizations have acquired more weapons and vehicles which are often of better quality than that of the police force.[7]
In 1995, more than 100,000 illegal small arms were captured nationwide.[7] From January to July of 1996, approximately 300,000 illegal small arms were seized from fourteen provinces of the country.[7]
Various types of violent crime has become common in PRC. Restaurants and hotel in the country extort high prices from guests, and those who show resistance are beaten or detained.[7] Threating of opponents in business operations is common.[7]
Corruption is common among government employees. A legal verdict can be changed from guilt to innocence, death sentence can turn into not-guilty verdict and length of prison terms can be reduced by bribing officials.[7] The armed forces employs naval vessels and airplanes for various smuggling activities.[7] The police stations often open covert gambling houses, or they can provide protection for them.[7]
The People's Republic of China is a supply, transit and destination country for women, men, and children trafficked for various purposes.[8] The majority of trafficking in PRC is internal and this domestic trafficking is the most significant human trafficking problem in the country.[8] Approximately 10,000-20,000 victims are trafficked each year.[8] There is also international trafficking of Chinese citizens.[8] Women are lured through false promises of legitimate employment into commercial sexual exploitation in Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan.[8] Chinese men are smuggled to countries throughout the world for exploitative labor.[8] Women and children are trafficked into PRC from Mongolia, Burma, North Korea, Russia, and Vietnam for forced labor and sexual slavery.[8]
PRC is a major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle.[8] Growing domestic drug abuse is a significant problem in PRC.[8]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Hans-Günther Heiland, Louise I. Shelley, Hisao Katō (1992). Crime and Control in Comparative Perspectives. Walter de Gruyter, p241. ISBN 3110126141.
- ^ a b c d e f Hans-Günther Heiland, Louise I. Shelley, Hisao Katō (1992). Crime and Control in Comparative Perspectives. Walter de Gruyter, p242. ISBN 3110126141.
- ^ Borge Bakken (2007). Crime, Punishment, and Policing in China. Rowman & Littlefield, p64. ISBN 0742535746.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Hans-Günther Heiland, Louise I. Shelley, Hisao Katō (1992). Crime and Control in Comparative Perspectives. Walter de Gruyter, p245. ISBN 3110126141.
- ^ a b c d Hans-Günther Heiland, Louise I. Shelley, Hisao Katō (1992). Crime and Control in Comparative Perspectives. Walter de Gruyter, p246. ISBN 3110126141.
- ^ a b Hans-Günther Heiland, Louise I. Shelley, Hisao Katō (1992). Crime and Control in Comparative Perspectives. Walter de Gruyter, p249. ISBN 3110126141.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Susan Debra Blum, Lionel M. Jensen (2002). China Off Center: Mapping the Margins of the Middle Kingdom. University of Hawaii Press, p29. ISBN 0824825772.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i CIA World Factbook - China. CIA World Factbook.
[edit] References
- Keeping a Lid on Crime Magazine article on China's crime rate
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