Govt to get tougher on gun crime

BEIJING - The government is to crack down on the illegal possession of guns and explosives following a recent spate of armed robberies nationwide.

"We will concentrate on tackling crimes involving serious violence and other prominent criminal activities in order to strengthen security in cities and maintain social order and overall stability," said Huang Ming, deputy minister of public security, announcing the campaign against gun crime.

There has been a series of armed robberies across the country in recent months, including incidents in Nanjing, Shenyang and Huizhou, Guangdong province, which have made headlines and caused public concern about security.