China Deepens Anti-Organized Crime Drive with Focus on Cyber Platforms

China has launched a one-year national campaign to deepen its fight against organized crime, according to official state media reports published on July 31. Speaking at a national video conference, Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Secretary Chen Wenqing announced that while traditional criminal syndicates remain under enforcement, the campaign will specifically target organized crimes using internet platforms and 'soft violence' tactics. The high-level conference included key security and judicial leaders, reflecting a coordinated push across public security, prosecutorial, and court systems.

The deployment of a specialized one-year campaign signals an adaptation in China's law enforcement strategy as illicit networks move away from physical street violence toward digital spaces. By explicitly directing enforcement toward internet platforms and non-physical coercion—such as online debt harassment and cyber intimidation—authorities are seeking to plug regulatory loopholes in the digital economy while reinforcing oversight over industry sectors and local officials who act as protective shields for criminal elements.

China has launched a new one-year national campaign to deepen its fight against organized crime, placing particular emphasis on digital platform abuses and non-physical coercion, according to state media reports published on July 31. Speaking at a national video conference, Chen Wenqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, called on authorities to fully implement top-level directives to eliminate criminal elements that erode social stability and build a higher-level "Peaceful China," Xinhua reported. The campaign marks an intensified phase in China’s ongoing anti-organized crime efforts. While acknowledging the achievements in anti-gang operations since the 20th CPC National Congress, Chen urged law enforcement and judicial authorities to deepen their understanding of new trends and patterns in organized illegal activities. He emphasized maintaining a high-pressure stance of striking quickly and forcefully against rising threats to resolve criminal issues that cause strong public discontent. A key shift highlighted during the conference is the targeting of modern operational tactics. While traditional organized crime syndicates will remain under strict enforcement, authorities will place major emphasis on combating organized crimes facilitated through internet platforms and those utilizing "soft violence"—methods such as online harassment, debt-collection intimidation, and psychological coercion that fall short of physical assault. Chen stressed strict adherence to legal standards and objective facts, stating that officials must ensure "not a single black or evil element is missed, nor is a non-criminal falsely targeted." The strategy also mandates combining discipline inspection with legal mechanisms to strike at official corruption and bring down "protective umbrellas" that shield organized crime rings. Furthermore, the campaign calls for a dual focus on punishment and prevention, targeting key industries and vulnerable regions to dismantle the conditions that allow criminal networks to take root. The high-level video conference was presided over by Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong, with Supreme People's Court President Zhang Jun and Supreme People's Procuratorate Procurator-General Ying Yong attending, underscoring joint coordination across China’s judicial and law enforcement hierarchy.