More street-level checkpoints and extensive searches of individuals - especially those who have been residents of Beijing for a short time - are among security initiatives police in the capital will take as they look to "nip threats in the bud" during National Day celebrations.

With a little more than a month to go before the Oct 1 festivities in Beijing that will mark the nation's 60th birthday, police have been told to beef up their anti-terror efforts, likely to a higher level than was seen during the 2008 Olympic Games.

Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu urged police chiefs nationwide late Monday to ensure they would "guard against and relentlessly crack down on sabotage activities carried out by hostile forces from both home and abroad."

"Security is currently our top priority," Xinhua News Agency quoted him as saying.

The nation's top police officer stressed the need to be prepared, saying "attempts of violence and terrorism must be foiled before they are turned into real action."

Li Wei, director of the Center for Counter-Terrorism Studies with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the risk of violence and terrorism rose after the July 5 riot in Urumqi in the Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region.

"The authorities have put terrorist attempts and violence from enemy forces, including extremists, separatists and terrorists, as the biggest threats against National Day activities," Li told China Daily.

An anonymous policeman in Beijing's Chaoyang district, where more than three million people live, said officers have increased street checkpoints at night as they look for suspicious vehicles and people.

"We are told that security measures for National Day will surpass the Olympics," he told China Daily.

Police will visit communities to check on short-term residents, with an emphasis on meeting people from ethnic groups and expatriates.

Many more officers are now working the night shift, he added.

"I can only go home once every 56 hours, which means I came to the office this morning and I will only be leaving the day after tomorrow," the police officer said.

The nation began its anti-terror campaign two months ago.

An anti-terrorism drill was held near Beijing in June and the nation took part in a joint anti-terrorism military exercise with Russia last month.

Meng also urged the continuation of a campaign launched in March that targets explosives and gun-related crime. By the end of last month, more than 50,000 guns and nearly 900 tons of explosives had been confiscated.

Beijing will also have 800,000 volunteers on patrol before and during the National Day celebrations.

(China Daily August 19, 2009)