The Chinese government will severely crack down on crimes committed by Mafia-like gangs, violent crimes, frequent property-related crimes, and drug-related crimes, Premier Wen Jiabao said Friday.

"We will increase our efforts to deal with serious crimes and areas with serious security problems," Wen said in his report on the work of the government delivered at the opening of the national legislature.

The government is duty-bound to ensure peace and security for the people, he stressed, adding, "We will further implement all measures to improve all facets of public security and press ahead with efforts to build a crime prevention and control system."

The premier told the legislators that funding mechanism for procuratorial, judicial and public security organs will be improved in order to ensure their smooth operation.

"We take terrorism seriously and will intensify our battle against it. We will expand and deepen our battle against cults," he said.

To ensure public order and social stability, it is imperative that the government correctly handles internal contradictions among the people as they crop up under changing circumstances, improve the mechanism for forestalling and resolving conflicts and disputes, and properly handle letters and complaints from the people, he noted.

(China Daily March 5, 2004)