China faces a new threat of widespread crime and violence this year after a sharp jump in the number of violent crimes in 2009, an annual legal research report by the country's top think-tank warned yesterday.

Last year saw a "drastic increase" in violent crimes, crimes against property, crimes disrupting the market economic order, and crimes disrupting social stability, according to the report on China's Rule of Law released by the Social Sciences Academic Press yesterday.

Criminal prosecutions increased by more than 10 percent in 2009, and public security cases increased by about 20 percent, it said.

"The dire crime situation has a close connection to the influence of the economic crisis," Jin Gaofeng, associate professor of criminology at Chinese People's Public Security University, said in the report.

The report noted that employment-related conflicts will not be solved even if the economic situation improves in 2010.

Therefore, stealing, robbery and swindling cases will continue to increase this year, the report said.

"Another reason (for the increase) is because of the authority's tightening measures last year against bribery and embezzlement crimes, as well as crimes of malfeasance," Jin said.

For example, by the end of 2009, the Chongqing operation to crack down on gangs resulted in nearly 3,000 people detained and 200 officials implicated for their alleged connections to organized crimes.