Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO), as part of the series "Promoting High-Quality Development." Today, we have invited Mr. Qi Yanjun, executive vice minister of public security; Mr. Qiu Baoli, director general of the Bureau of Public Security Management of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS); Mr. Li Jiantao, director general of the Bureau of Environmental Resources, Food and Drug Crime Investigation of the MPS and director general of the Bureau of Intellectual Property Crime Investigation of the MPS; and Mr. Wang Qiang, director general of the Bureau of Traffic Management of the MPS, to brief you on relevant developments and to take your questions. 

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Qi for his introduction. 

Qi Yanjun:

Thank you, Ms. Shou. Hello, friends from the media.

Since the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), public security organs nationwide have fully implemented the guiding principles of the congress and the second and third plenary sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee, thoroughly studied and implemented the important remarks of General Secretary Xi Jinping on high-quality development, and carried out the arrangements of the National Public Security Work Conference. We have further innovated our philosophies, optimized measures and improved methodologies, with the aim of creating sound political, social, service and legal environments that are conducive for high-quality development. We have made new contributions to sustaining rapid economic growth and long-term social stability, which are two remarkable achievements. 

We have made every effort to strengthen political security, fostering a secure and stable political environment for high-quality development. We have fully applied a holistic approach to national security, prioritizing political security, closely guarding against and cracking down on infiltration, subversive, disruptive and destructive activities by internal and external hostile forces, to firmly safeguard the security of China's state power, systems and ideology. We have resolutely and initiatively cracked down on terrorism and separatism and continuously conducted special actions to combat violence and terrorism, firmly preventing violent and terrorist cases and incidents. We have thoroughly implemented the Global Security Initiative, deepened international law enforcement cooperation to maintain security, and made more partners in law enforcement and security cooperation. We have firmly safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and legal persons overseas. 

We have made every effort to maintain the long-term stability and security of society, fostering a peaceful and harmonious social environment for high-quality development. We have upheld a people-centric development philosophy, carried forward and evolved the Fengqiao Experience (an approach to resolve social disputes at the community level) in the new era, and facilitated the improvement of public security governance mechanisms and social governance systems, advancing the Peaceful China Initiative to a higher level. In 2023, public security organs nationwide filed 4.8% fewer criminal cases than in 2022, whereas the number of public security cases being investigated and handled was on par with that in 2022. From January to July this year, the number of criminal cases filed dropped 30.1% year on year, achieving a 14-month decline streak; the number of telecommunications and online fraud cases filed decreased 23.8% year on year, falling for 11 consecutive months; and 99.94% of current homicide cases were solved, the highest rate in history. People's sense of security has constantly improved. Foreigners staying in China often praise it as one of the safest countries in the world. In 2023, the national public security index maintained a high standard, reaching 98.2% and remaining above 98% for four years in a row. 

We have made every effort to enhance coordinated reforms, fostering an excellent and efficient service environment for high-quality development. We have fully and faithfully applied the new development philosophy, further deepening the reform of public security related administrative services to continue unleashing the internal driving forces and creativity of society. Since 2019, we have fulfilled the duties and missions of public security authorities and rolled out a series of new reform measures to benefit both individuals and enterprises. We have advanced one-stop government services by improving the list-based management mechanism for relevant major tasks. We have diversified the methods for accessing administrative services, optimized related procedures, reduced the materials required, and minimized costs. In terms of benefiting individuals and enterprises, we have issued more than 240 reform measures to facilitate socioeconomic development and improve the business environment. In terms of public security and household administration, we have continuously deepened efforts in providing frequently used household administrative services across provinces and providing ID card related services outside home jurisdiction. More than 4.15 million household registration transfers have been handled across provinces, and 116 million ID cards have been renewed or reissued outside home jurisdiction. In terms of traffic management, we have rolled out 10 sets of new reform measures, benefiting more than 800 million people and cutting more than 70 billion yuan ($9.86 billion) in administrative costs for the public. In terms of integrated urban-rural development, the process of granting permanent urban residency to people moving out of rural areas has been advanced in an orderly manner. Since 2014, a total of 150 million of these people have been granted permanent urban residency in a steady and orderly manner. Nationwide, the registered urban population proportion reached 48.3% in 2023, up from 35.9% in 2014.

We have made every effort to improve public security through rule of law, fostering a fair and just legal environment for high-quality development. We have continuously deepened efforts in standardizing law enforcement, improving rule of law in public security work and the credibility of law enforcement, to let the public feel a sense of fairness and justice in our handling of each case and incident. We have upheld and fulfilled our commitments to unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector and unswervingly encouraging, supporting and guiding the development of the non-public sector. Based on the principle of equitable and law-based protection, we have investigated and handled 396,000 criminal cases involving intellectual property infringement and disruption of market order since 2019. We have insisted on boosting development and ensuring effective governance through good legislation, facilitating the formulation and revision of more than 50 laws and regulations related to public security. We have insisted on ensuring fairness and justice by standardizing law enforcement, setting up 3,055 management centers for law enforcement and case handling at city and county levels, which have become vivid examples showcasing the law-based governance of China. We have thoroughly promoted strict, standardized, impartial and civilized law enforcement, improved related methodologies, and standardized the language and conduct used in the process, achieving a better balance between law, reason and sense, and ensuring the timeliness, intensity and effect of law enforcement. 

On the new journey, public security authorities nationwide will thoroughly study and implement the guiding principles of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, to gain a deep understanding of the decisive significance of establishing Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We will be more conscious of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and maintain alignment with the central Party leadership. We will remain confident in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We will uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We will also further deepen all-round reform of the public security system and pursue modernization with our work, increasing our contribution to building a great country and advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernization.

That is all for my introduction. Next, my colleagues and I are ready to take your questions. 

Thank you, Mr. Qi, for your introduction. Let's move on to the question-and-answer session. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising your question. The floor is now open for questions.