China reported a decline in criminal and public security cases in the first half of 2026, with criminal cases down 16.5 percent and public security violations dropping by 11.3 percent from a year earlier, the Ministry of Public Security announced on Friday.
Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Qi Yanjun, vice minister of public security, said the country's improving public safety situation has drawn attention overseas, with some social media users discussing what they describe as "Chinese sense of security."
"In the first half of this year, China's social stability continued to improve as the numbers of criminal and public security cases decreased by 16.5 percent and 11.3 percent, respectively. The 'Chinese sense of security' has become a hot topic on overseas social media platforms," Qi said.
Qi said China cracked down on economic and financial crimes in accordance with law in the six-month period, solving 48,000 cases and recovering economic losses of 12.15 billion yuan.
"In the first half of this year, 307,000 traditional theft, robbery, and fraud cases were filed, a year-on-year decrease of 38.9 percent. The number of homicide cases dropped to a record low. Meanwhile, 1,744 gang-related and organized criminal cases were handled, and public satisfaction with the regular campaign against such crimes has increased for three consecutive years. The number of telecom and online fraud cases filed decreased by 15.6 percent year on year, and 2.926 million people were dissuaded face to face from getting involved in such cases. Since October 2025, the number of telecom and online fraud cases has decreased year on year for nine consecutive months. The national road traffic safety situation remained stable, with the number of major accidents down 8.8 percent year on year," he said.
The new progress in public security governance has created a tighter public security barrier for the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), Qi said.
China reports decline in criminal, public security cases in H1
