Police chief Zhou Yongkang on Thursday called for keeping a safe society in rural areas, especially strengthening protection of women, children and the elderly.

Zhou, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, urged local police forces and other relevant officials to protect farmer's interests at a national teleconference on Thursday.

Zhou said the investigation of the social safety situation in some disordered rural areas and improving the social security are the main tasks for the local police and governments.

He urged local police forces to severely crack down on crimes which infringe upon farmer's life and property. Women and the elderly are the priority targets to protect, he said.

Children who have dropped out of school, rural children left at home by migrant parents working in cities and children whose parents are in prison should be paid more attention to, he added.

Local governments should establish an information network of dealing with disputes in rural areas and use administrative, economic, legal and other means to mediate, Zhou said.

China's chief justice Xiao Yang and Jia Chunwang, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate also attended the conference.

(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2007)