China executes 11 members of Myanmar-based telecom fraud crime group

China on Thursday executed 11 members of the Ming family criminal group for large-scale cross-border telecom fraud and violent crimes targeting Chinese citizens.

The executions followed final approval by the Supreme People's Court, after appeals by the defendants were rejected and original death sentences upheld.

According to the court, the Ming family criminal group, led by Ming Guoping and Ming Zhenzhen, had since 2015 operated multiple crime compounds in Laukkai and surrounding areas of Myanmar's Kokang region, including Shiyuanzi and Qingshuihe. The group provided armed protection to telecom fraud syndicates and engaged in telecom fraud, illegal gambling and other criminal activities.

Authorities said the group recruited and sheltered multiple fraud ring leaders and facilitated large-scale telecom scams and gambling operations, with fraud- and gambling-related funds exceeding 10 billion yuan (about 1.44 billion U.S. dollars).

The Ming group also collaborated with other telecom fraud syndicates to carry out violent crimes, including intentional homicide, intentional injury and unlawful detention of fraud workers, resulting in the deaths of 14 Chinese nationals and injuries to several others.

The Supreme People's Court found that Ming Guoping, Ming Zhenzhen, Zhou Weichang, Wu Hongming, Wu Senlong, Fu Yubin and others had organized, led or participated in criminal groups committing a wide range of offenses, including fraud, operating casinos, intentional killing, intentional injury and unlawful detention.

The court said the crimes were particularly severe in nature, with grave consequences, and that the original verdicts were based on clear facts, sufficient evidence and lawful judicial procedures. It therefore approved the death sentences.

Following receipt of the execution orders, the Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court in east China's Zhejiang Province carried out the executions in accordance with the law. The defendants' close relatives were allowed to meet with them prior to the executions.

Chinese authorities have stepped up efforts in recent years to dismantle telecom fraud networks operating in northern Myanmar, following a joint crackdown launched by China and Myanmar in 2023.

China executes 11 members of Myanmar-based telecom fraud crime group

Smart wearable devices are increasingly embedded in daily life in China, where booming sales of watches and smart glasses are reshaping the consumer electronics market.   In Beijing's Chaoyang District, smart watches have become a popular choice for shoppers seeking tools to monitor sleep, heart rate and stress.

"I often use my smart watch to monitor my sleep, heart rate, and stress. I hope it could also incorporate AI functions, allowing me to chat with it in-depth or help me complete some simple tasks," said a customer.

Beyond watches, smart glasses powered by large‑model technology are entering China's consumer market, reshaping the landscape of wearable electronics.

"It is more convenient to use smart glasses as earphones at work. This is my third pair of smart glasses, and the functions of the new one is much better than the previous ones," said a customer.

"Smart wearable devices have evolved significantly, shifting from simply displaying data to facilitating effective user interaction. As these product categories update at an accelerating pace and user demands grow increasingly diverse, manufacturers are compelled to accelerate their own cycles of innovation in both functional design and hardware configuration. Take smartwatches as an example: sales in this category have increased by more than 40 percent (compared to the same period in 2024)," said Zhang Jie, manager of Beijing Shuangjing Branch of JD Mall.

According to the latest worldwide quarterly wearable device tracker, in the first three quarters of 2025, global wrist-worn device shipments reached 150 million units, a year-on-year increase of 10 percent. 

Among them, China's cumulative shipments totaled 58.43 million units, representing a year-on-year growth of 27.6 percent. In the first half of 2025, the global smart glasses shipments reached 4.065 million units, a year-on-year increase of 64.2 percent, and China's cumulative shipments exceeded 1 million units.

China smart wearables growth fuels consumer electronics boom