MORE types of crime are being committed in China, but officials insist that the situation is under control.
A senior official from the Public Security Ministry said in Beijing yesterday: ''The law and order situation is basically stable. But the number of problems concerning law and order has increased and the damages incurred have intensified.'' Lu Zhiqian indicated that the increase in crimes might continue in the face of the ''transition from the old system to a new system'', referring to the replacement of a planned economy by a market economy.
He said a team of public security officers able to tackle emergency crime cases was urgently needed.
Street patrols in major cities had achieved remarkable results, he added, hinting that they might be introduced in other parts of the country.
''Hard-fisted social control is essential for [the preservation of] social stability,'' he said.
Mr Lu maintained that the recent severe crackdown on serious crimes had acted as a deterrent.
