Public security departments across China have managed to store the information of about one billion Chinese in nationwide computer networks.
It marks a substantial progress in computerizing the population data and will greatly facilitate the crackdown on criminal activities among the floating population, said Bao Suixian, an official with the Ministry of Public Security.
According to official statistics, public security departments seized 23,194 persons who were at large with the help of the computer networks during the first 20 days of a national combat against escaped criminals last year.
(China Daily February 27, 2002)