Phoenix TV:

My questions are about food safety crimes. We've seen repeat occurrences of food safety crimes in recent years. How does the MPS view the offenses? What measures has the ministry taken to fight against them? Thank you. 

Li Jiantao:

I'll answer these questions. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress includes a section on food safety being added into the public safety system and emphasizes tightening supervision over food and drug safety. The public security authorities, after thoroughly studying the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, have acted on them and adopted a series of strict measures to crack down on and rectify food contamination, aiming to resolutely ensure that people's every bite of food is safe. 

First, we have stuck to a strict fighting approach in alignment with the law and carried out in-depth, transparent, and targeted campaigns. The MPS has deployed public security organs across the country to conduct the "Kunlun 2023" special operation to take down crimes in the areas of food and medicine safety. Efforts have been pooled to deal with high-profile crimes regarding the excessive use of additives and illicit addition of toxic or harmful non-edible substances to food. We have cracked down on more than 5,300 criminal cases involving illegal additions to internet-famous food, abuse of clenbuterol, and the production and sale of fake beef and mutton, arresting over 6,300 criminal suspects.

Second, we have always taken proactive actions and constantly enhanced our crime-battling capabilities. To address the issue of numerous hard-to-find and hidden food-related cases, we have mobilized more than 500 food and drug rapid testing laboratories nationwide built under public security organs to proactively sample and test food products with a high incidence of issues, timely identifying a number of issue-related clues. Currently, the self-discovery rate of case leads stands at 60%. In response to growing food-related crimes on the internet, we have intensified online inspections, conducted cross-regional coordinated operations, and sundered a number of online crime chains. Facing the problem of changing criminal forms of illicit addition, we have cooperated with scientific research institutions to tackle technological challenges and joined departments involved to develop testing standards and methods, rendering the battle more effective and efficient. 

Third, we have been committed to collaborative governance and contributed to improving the overall management of food safety. In fulfilling our crime-fighting responsibilities, we have collaborated with relevant departments to shift post-incident handling to incident prevention in food safety regulation. A coordinated mechanism with administrative authorities has been set up to proactively report major food safety issues and jointly address the hidden risks. We have conducted in-depth field trips and visits for the benefit of the public and enterprises, carefully heeded their views and suggestions, and encouraged the public to report food safety offenses. We have also strengthened the publicity of typical cases, timely issued risk warnings, and fostered a positive public opinion environment.

At present, China's food safety has achieved stable and positive performance. However, driven by economic interests and other factors, food-related crimes remain frequent and recurrent, making combating them a daunting task. Going forward, the public security organs will fully implement the "four most stringent" requirements (most rigorous standards, strictest supervision, most severe punishment, most serious accountability), focus on the public's concerns regarding food safety, and continue to crack down on related crimes with a zero-tolerance approach. By doing this, we aim to upgrade food safety regulations and ensure that the public can eat safer and healthier food with greater reassurance.

Thank you!

Chen Wenjun:

The last two questions, please.

Beijing Radio & Television Station:

We have noticed that in terms of public security reform, the concept of public security organs at the city level being mainly responsible for combating problems and police stations at the county level working on prevention is gaining increasing traction. Could you give a detailed explanation of this approach as well as the experiences and achievements obtained so far? Thank you.

Yang Xin:

I'll answer this question. In August 2022, the MPS held a meeting to advance comprehensive public security reform. It underscored how we should follow the principles of Party committees exercising leadership, ministerial-level authorities heading the overall work, provincial-level departments taking the major responsibility, city and county-level organs in charge of combating, and police stations responsible for prevention, and focusing on expediting the institutional reform that can adapt to, align with, and complement that in the police force. The goal is to promote system integration, seamless synergy, and efficient coordination in varied police security reforms, thus driving the high-quality development of police security work. Following the MPS's deployments and requirements, the public security organs across the country have regarded combat capability as the criterion, acted on the demands under combat conditions, honed professionalism, and advanced flat management. They have actively facilitated the reform of streamlining departments and police categories in the public security organs at the city and county levels and improved the integrated mechanism of "intelligence-command-action." Additionally, they have deepened the reform of establishing one comprehensive command room and two teams of police officers working in the communities and as law enforcers and promoted the full coverage of one police officer responsible for one village (grid). For example, public security organs in Beijing, Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei, and other regions have made valuable explorations in accordance with the principles of provincial-level departments taking the major responsibility, city and county-level organs being in charge of combating, and police stations being responsible for prevention. It also emphasizes the improvement of the organizations, police categories, grassroots structures, and foundations. They have made notable progress in such areas as optimizing responsibilities, improving police force operational mechanisms, and channeling police resources toward lower levels. 

Next, the MPS will continue to advance police reform, promote grassroots infrastructure development, and persistently implement policies and measures that prioritize the grassroots level. These efforts are geared towards effectively bolstering the capabilities of grassroots units, stimulating vitality at the grassroots level, and enhancing their combat capabilities.

That's a brief overview. Thank you.