This year's festival saw less crime, ministry says

Crime in China dropped more than 20 percent year-on-year during the Spring Festival holiday, while public security remained stable across the country, the Ministry of Public Security revealed on Wednesday.

For the eight-day holiday from Jan 28 to Feb 4, authorities carried out targeted patrols in key areas, including commercial districts, tourist attractions, transportation hubs and popular social media spots, the ministry said. Efforts to crack down on illegal activities common during holidays were also intensified.

More than 4 million police officers were deployed nationwide, assisted by 7.4 million community volunteers, to maintain security. By 5 pm on Tuesday, the number of criminal cases had dropped 20.9 percent year-on-year, while security-related incidents fell 14.3 percent, according to ministry data.