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China’s Communist Party
ChinaPolitics

China’s police pledge to build ‘new quality combat capacity’ with tech aimed at preventing risks

  • The buzz phrase, first coined by Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, refers to the modernisation of policing through hi-tech and innovation
  • Cities and provinces answer Wang’s call with measures that deploy big data to improve efficiency and predict threats

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China’s Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong first used the phrase “new quality combat capacity” in a meeting with the country’s provincial police chiefs in January, when he renewed calls for the “modernisation” of local policing. Photo: Weibo
Hayley Wongin Beijing

Police departments across China have pledged to create and strengthen “new quality combat capacity” with technology aimed at “preventive policing” and efficiency.

During the country’s annual legislative session last week, Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong reminded delegates from the northern province of Hebei to speed up efforts to achieve “new quality combat capacity”.
While Chinese officials have used the phrase “combat capacity” in the context of public security before, Wang was the first to use the phrase “new quality combat capacity” during a nationwide meeting with the country’s provincial police chiefs in January when he renewed demands for the “modernisation” of local policing.

It was decided at the January meeting that local forces would roll out more measures to use big data to support frontline capabilities.

Since then, provincial and city security forces have pledged to increase the use of big data and improve their ability to predict and prevent risks.

These risks include phone scams, offshore gambling, political rumours, “harmful” online information and “disruptive and subversive activities by domestic and foreign hostile forces”, according to the public security ministry.

During last week’s annual parliamentary meetings, known as the “two sessions”, Wang’s deputy Qi Yanjun, who is also police chief of Beijing municipality, made rare remarks on public gatherings.

“Beijing should … prepare sufficiently to respond to all kinds of risks and challenges, and uphold the security bottom line of not having large-scale public gatherings,” Qi told the delegation from the capital city.

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