Xi: Step up crackdown on telecom, online fraud

President Xi Jinping has urged resolute efforts to crack down on telecom and online fraud in a recent instruction published on Friday.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, underlined the importance of acting on the people-centered philosophy, ensuring both development and security, and strengthening the awareness of rule of law in the future.

While preliminary results have been achieved in recent years, Xi called for further efforts to prevent telecom and online fraud at the source, mobilize efforts from all relevant departments and the public and fully implement all prevention and crackdown measures.

He also urged the financial, communications and internet sectors to assume their primary responsibilities for supervising telecom and online fraud.

The authorities should raise public awareness to guard against such fraud by carrying out education campaigns and promoting international cooperation on law enforcement, Xi said.

Premier Li Keqiang said in an instruction that efforts should be continued to consolidate the country's achievements in cracking down on telecom and online fraud in order to better safeguard the safety of people's property and their legitimate interests.

The instructions were delivered at a nationwide video and telephone conference on the work of fighting telecom and online fraud held in Beijing on Thursday.

Telecom and online fraud has become the fastest growing criminal offense that severely affects the public's sense of security as the internet has rapidly developed in recent years.

Data from the Ministry of Public Security showed that Chinese authorities had cracked a total of 322,000 cases related to telecom and online fraud in 2020.

Around 361,000 suspects were arrested, saving the public 187 billion yuan ($28.53 billion) in economic losses, according to the ministry.