Wang called on his cadres to “maintain unwavering determination”, saying “standards should not be lowered, [and] the intensity should not be reduced” when cracking down on crimes early while they are still on a small scale.
“[We must] strike accurately and forcefully against organised crime and evil forces, and also resolutely crack down on protective umbrellas and break networks to ensure that our actions are impactful and effective,” he said.
According to Xinhua, Wang also asked police across the country to strengthen inspections and rectification in some key areas and industries to eradicate potential breeding grounds for organised crime.
The campaign, launched in 2018 and initially expected to last three years, was part of Xi’s signature anti-corruption drive initiated soon after he became Communist Party general secretary in 2012.
In 2021, the anti-organised crime drive was declared an “overwhelming victory” and extended to “fight against evil on a normal basis” in a continuing clean-up of governance at the county and village administrative levels.
Organised crime and corruption – particularly at the grass roots – are regarded as existential threats to party rule and Xi has directed that criminal networks be stamped out, along with their financial support and officials who collude with them.
According to a Xinhua report in May, more than 5,200 organised crime groups were smashed across the country over the past five years, while 13 per cent fewer criminal cases were filed in 2023 compared to 2019.
The Xinhua report also noted a similar fall in the number of public security cases brought last year, with a decline in filings for this category of 10 per cent compared to five years ago.
State broadcaster CCTV reported in January that more than 1,900 criminal organisations were dismantled in 2023 alone, and more than 27,000 suspects were arrested.
Ma Aijun, former head of the Lubei district branch of the Tangshan Public Security Bureau in Hebei province, was convicted and sentenced for sheltering the gang from justice for years of earlier offending.
