Although the total number of criminal cases leveled off last
year, there were 84,000 economic crimes, up 4.2 percent
year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
Among the economic offenses, violations of company regulations
and financial misconduct led the increase, rising 15.4 percent and
14.3 percent, respectively, from 2006.
"As the economy has developed quickly in recent years, economic
crimes have become more frequent," Wu Heping, a spokesman with the
ministry, told reporters on Wednesday.
He said that 2007 was the fourth year in a row during which
China had seen a marked increase in economic crimes.
As for other offenses, there were 4.75 million criminal cases in
2007. Serious crimes such as bombings, arson, murder, rape and
abduction dropped, with bombings down 25.2 percent year-on-year,
said the ministry.
"In 2007, public security departments at all levels strengthened
their front-line police efforts to improve social security," said
Wu.
The number of traffic accidents dropped by 13.6 percent
year-on-year to 327,000, killing 81,000 people and causing direct
economic losses of some 1.19 billion yuan (about 160 million U.S.
dollars).
Wu noted that last year, crimes committed by teenagers and the
jobless fell by 1.2 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively, from
2006.
As the New Year festival neared, criminals might become more
active, said Wu, and he warned the public to take necessary
precautions.
(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2008)