China's 'world's safest country' claim greeted with ridicule by netizens

A new claim that China is one of the safest countries in the world, based on the number of homicides, has brought the Ministry of Public Security under criticism and ridicule by Chinese who are calling the findings into question.

The yesterday cited new figures from the ministry as indicating that the number of cases related to murders, assault or robbery have been declining in recent years, and that the annual murder rate was eight people per million, while the closure rate of all murder investigations had reached 94.5 per cent.

The report added that the rate was lower than in countries considered to have the best social order, including Japan and Switzerland, though specific figures were not given for comparison.

Tens of thousands of microbloggers from across the country were quick yesterday to rebuke the findings, with many people calling them unbelievable.

"Is this meant to be a euphemism for China having the best rule of law in the world?" said one microblog user posting under the name Xiaofang.

"Why don't you [the ministry] simply say that China is a paradise," another internet user said on a Sina microblog.