Since the beginning of this year, China's public security organizations, following the unified plan of the Ministry of Public Security, have given full play to their functional role and continued to deepen the work of rectifying and standardizing the market economic order and severely attack economic crimes.

Rectifying companies' investing acts. The Ministry of Public Security and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce launched a special move to jointly carry out rectification of companies' investing acts early this year. Statistics show that between January and July this year public security departments nationwide established a total of 1,160 criminal cases that disrupted the order of the management of companies and enterprises, with the case value amounting to 5.48 billion yuan, 26.4 percent and 300 percent respectively over last year.

Attacking the activity of illegally buying and selling foreign exchange. On August 29 this year, the five cities-Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan and Shunde in Guangdong Province launched the action, code named "damming river current", of cracking down on underground money houses engaged in illegal purchase and sale of foreign exchange, with remarkable results. Statistics show that the action ended in destroying 11 underground money shops, demolished 30 business hideouts and seized 12.36 million yuan of illicit money.

Launching in-depth special actions to fight the making and peddling counterfeits.

First is in the work of fighting counterfeit cigarettes. In March this year, the Ministry of Public Security and the State Tobacco Monopoly Bureau held in Guangdong's Shantou City the "Special Action Report Meeting on the Fight Against Counterfeit Cigarettes", in light of the actual condition confronting the work of fighting counterfeits, it was decided to extend this special action to the end of June. According to preliminary statistics, 1,556 counterfeit-making hideouts were destroyed in the special action of fighting the manufacture of counterfeit cigarettes.

Second, in the crackdown on counterfeit foodstuffs and agricultural materials, the Ministry of Public Security, together with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture made and transmitted to lower authorities the work plan for food hygiene and the fight against counterfeit related to the means of agricultural production, with the emphasis placed on coordination with public security organizations in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces and Shanghai Municipality in cracking the cases of producing and selling "lean meat essence", thoroughly destroying the criminal gang of Wang Guoqiang, Wang Guoliang and others that involved in the making and selling of "lean meat essence" in many provinces.

Third, intensifying the investigation and prosecution of major and important cases. The Ministry of Public Security has successively organized and directed the public security departments of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces and other places to put on file for investigation and prosecution the case of Zhu Longfu in Zhenjiang and Danyang cities of Jiangsu Province who produced and sold faked "Wu Liang Ye" liquor series and the case of Wu Xiwang and Huang Tiyou who used faked registered trademark sign for illegally brewing "Wu Liang Ye" wine series, Zhu Longfu, Yin Suhua and 31 others involved in the case have been captured, seven counterfeit-making hide-outs and 24 counterfeit wine sale networks have been destroyed in succession.

In face of the current situation of economic crimes, the Ministry of Public Security demands that the public security departments at various levels should, continuing to act on the "strike hard" principle in the latter half of this year, give full play to their role as the main force in attacking economic crimes, and should carry out their work around the outstanding problems that have a direct bearing on the vital interests of the broad masses, that cause strong complaints to the masses and that have done serious harm to society.

In respect to the rectification of financial order.

First is the need to further consolidate the achievements gained last year in the special struggle against financial bills. Continued efforts should be made to dig deep into the dens which forge financial bills, to cut off the channels for buying and selling financial bills, strike heavy blows at criminal gangs who engage in the coordinated process of counterfeiting, trading and defrauding activities, and deflate the arrogance of financial bill criminals. It is necessary to strengthen study on banking-card crime and other new-type crimes and, together with banks and other departments concerned, engage in active exploration of countermoves and measures for attacking and preventing such crimes.

Second is the need to severely crack down on crimes in foreign exchange. It is necessary to conscientiously organize and launch the work of attacking underground money house crimes, actively investigate and prosecute major and important cases. Through tracing after and supervising and handling some criminal cases of underground money houses, it is imperative to find out clue to cases, locate the source of the funds of underground money houses and their operational law and make timely arrangements for launching special attacking actions in major regions.

Third is the need to further intensify the crackdown on forging money crimes. It is imperative to strengthen supervision, direction and continued promotion of the in-depth hard struggle and rectification in key areas, and at the same time, make profound analysis of the outstanding, deep-seated reasons for the crime of counterfeiting money, and try hard to concentrate one year's time on "strike hard" and rectification, so as to bring about a notable change in the situation of the rampage of counterfeiting money in these regions. Great attention should be paid to the work of clearing up cases of coining foreign currencies and, through breaking cases and tracing sources and digging into dens, to resolutely check the upward trend of the cases of coining foreign currencies.

Fourth is the need to join relevant departments in severely attacking criminal activities in the securities field.

In regard to rectifying taxation order. In light of the current situation of serious criminal activities prevailing in some regions and trades that concern tax evasion, make out special VAT (value added tax) receipts, illegally forge and sell special VAT receipts and other bills, it is necessary to launch special rectification action together with the State Administration of Taxation in the latter half of this year, work should be unfolded centered around the following key issues: (1).making out special VAT receipts and the use of such receipts to commit crimes of tax evasion and tax fraud; (2) forging, trafficking, stealing and defrauding special VAT receipts and other bills; (3) the crime of tax evasion by private enterprises and high-income social strata; and (4) crimes committed by peddlers' markets and gas stations in evading and refusing to pay tax,

In respect to rectifying tourist market order. It is necessary to actively coordinate with tourist departments in charge to mainly solve outstanding public order questions existing in the tourist market and scenic areas, legally attack the unlawful acts of a small number of tourism units which deceive tourists, severely attack and outlaw "underground tourist units and illegitimate tourist guides", intensify public order management in guesthouses, hotels and various types of recreational centers in tourist and scenic areas, standardize business behavior, effectively prevent and attack such criminal activities as the practice of visiting whorehouses and organizing porno performances and organizing and providing profit-making accompaniment services.

In regard to the work of anti-forgery products. It is essential to continue the in-depth struggle against the making and selling of counterfeit foodstuffs, medicines, agricultural materials and cigarettes, constantly expand rectification results, consolidate rectification achievements and prevent the emergence of rebounds.

In regard to the rectification of the peddlers' market. Collaboration and coordination is strengthened with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and other relevant departments to intensify the rectification of the peddlers' market in major regions, special rectification should be combined with the anti-forgery special actions, the fight against clandestine units and eradication of evils and wiping out evil forces in peddlers' markets.

In respect to the rectification of gas stations. Local governments are earnestly demanded to map out their general plans for the construction of the industry of gas stations, so as to provide a basis for the construction and management of gas stations in the future. It is imperative to establish departmental linkage mechanisms, work out clearly-defined examination and approval procedures, resolutely prevent indiscriminate approval of construction and further standardize the management of gas stations.

With regard to the clean-up and rectification of cyber cafes. In the near future, it is necessary to actively coordinate with cultural and other departments to carry out the special work of rectifying cyber cafes, ban illegally operating cafes, attack, investigate and prosecute cafes operating against regulations; conduct inspection of fire safety equipment in cafes, Internet and other online service business sites; do the re-registration and safety verification work well in cafes, further standardize the contents and procedures of cafes' safety verification to ensure open policy, clearly-defined conditions, standard procedures and strict examination and approval. It is particularly necessary to strengthen supervision and management over networking safety and fire safety and ensure that a safety management system is set up and responsibility is affixed, apparatuses for the safety management of software are installed.

(China Daily October 10, 2002)