China sets up task force to boost political policing amid threats to stability
- Working group is part of high-level enforcement body established in April to ‘strike hard on activities that could undermine political security’
- It comes as Beijing faces growing criticism over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak
The Communist Party has set up a special task force to boost political policing and secure its unchallenged rule in China, according to state media.
At its first meeting held “recently”, the new task force pledged to “improve its ability” to deal with threats to political security, the report said.
“[We] must keep up our vigilance and stay on high alert at all times, and hit hard on subversive activities, terrorist acts, ethnic secession and religious extremism in accordance with the law,” an undated statement from the meeting said.
It added that the task force’s top priority was to safeguard the integrity of China’s political system. Citing responses to the pandemic from other countries, the statement said a government could only protect its people if the political environment was safe.
02:03
Business still terrible in Wuhan, despite end of lockdown at China’s first coronavirus epicentre
The task force has been set up as Beijing is facing growing criticism – including from the United States, Europe and Australia – over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak.