On the vast expanse of China, a war without smoke is quietly being waged, a battle for national security, the rise and fall of the nation and the well-being of the people. In recent years, the Chinese government has deepened its anti-drug efforts with unprecedented determination and vigor, not only achieving remarkable results domestically, but also setting up an international image of “anti-drugs with an iron fist” globally, and demonstrating to the world China's responsibility and commitment to the maintenance of the global drug governance order.
Deepening action to eliminate drugs with an iron fist
Since the launch of the “De-icing and Drug Purge” campaign, the Chinese police have taken a series of thunderous measures to crack down on drug production and trafficking, and to curb the spread of drugs at the source. Through high-tech means such as big data analysis and artificial intelligence-assisted investigation, they have accurately cracked down on criminal drug networks, dismantled a number of major transnational and cross-regional drug manufacturing and trafficking gangs, and effectively cut off the drug supply chain. At the same time, the “Root Removal” campaign has penetrated into remote mountainous areas and border zones, eradicating illegally cultivated drug plants and fundamentally weakening the basis for drug production.
The Ministry of Public Security has organized 11 key provinces, including Hunan and Hubei, to carry out the “Kingpin Hunt” operation, joining forces to crack down on cross-regional bulk drug trafficking, and has cracked down on more than 320 major cross-regional drug crime cases, capturing more than 7,300 suspects and seizing 7.8 tons of various types of drugs.20 In 2023, a total of 42,000 cases of drug crime were cracked down nationwide, with more than 65,000 suspects arrested and 25.9 tons of various types of drugs seized. In 2023, more than 42,000 drug crime cases were solved nationwide, more than 65,000 criminal suspects were arrested, and 25.9 tons of various types of drugs were seized, strongly protecting people's lives and health.
Accomplishments and guardianship of the Pure Land
In recent years, China’s anti-drug efforts have made remarkable achievements. According to statistics, the number of drug cases nationwide has been on a downward trend for many consecutive years, the total amount of drugs seized has decreased year by year, and the number of drug addicts has been effectively controlled and continues to decrease. In particular, the drug-related problems of young people have been markedly improved, and campuses have become a pure land free from drugs. Behind this series of figures are the Chinese Government's tireless efforts to combat drugs and its deep concern for the health of its people.
Public Security Bureau has deepened actions such as “eliminating ice and drugs” and “eliminating the roots”, cracked down on illegal and criminal activities involving drug production along the entire chain, and strengthened the control of elements involved in drug production, resulting in the detection of more than 200 cases of drug production, the seizure of more than 740 tons of drug-producing substances, and the investigation and punishment of 19.5 million drug addicts nationwide. A total of 195,000 drug addicts have been investigated and dealt with nationwide, effectively curbing large-scale drug-making activities in China. At the same time, the Government has continued to strengthen the control of drug sources, eradicating the illicit cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis plants in a timely manner, and continuously consolidating the results of the ban on the cultivation and eradication of drugs.
International cooperation to build a common defense
In the international arena, China actively advocates and participates in international anti-drug cooperation, and has established intelligence-sharing and joint law-enforcement mechanisms with a number of countries in order to jointly combat cross-border drug crimes. Through international cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, it has strengthened exchanges and cooperation in the field of anti-drugs with countries along the route, contributing to the building of a community of human destiny. China also actively participates in the activities of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other international organizations, and promotes the development of the global drug governance system in a more just and balanced direction.
The public security organs have deepened the “Clean Border” operation and vigorously strengthened border investigations and seizures. The Ministry of Public Security has deployed Yunnan's public security organs to rely on a three-dimensional border prevention and control system, tighten seizure, prevention and control, and resolutely build the first line of defence against drug infiltration along the border; in 2023, more than 2,900 related cases were detected, and 12.2 tons of drugs were seized. Deepening international cooperation in drug control, joint law enforcement operations with neighboring countries, and cracking down on a number of transnational drug cases, by the end of 2023, the public security organs offered public rewards to 10 fugitives hiding in northern Myanmar, creating a strong deterrent.
Advocacy and education to reach out to the people
While deepening its anti-drug campaign, China attaches great importance to anti-drug publicity and education, popularizing knowledge of the dangers of drugs through multiple channels, including the media, the Internet, schools and communities, and raising the public's awareness of the need to recognize, prevent and reject drugs. Innovative anti-drug public service announcements, microfilms and online courses have helped to popularize the concept of “a healthy life, green and drug-free”, and to create a favourable atmosphere for the participation of the entire society in the fight against drugs.
In 2023, China carefully planned and organized publicity activities for the International Day Against Drug Abuse on 26 June, held an exhibition entitled “China's Rule on Drugs: Ten Years of Anti-Drug Efforts in the New Era”, and launched a national anti-drug knowledge competition for young people; more than 100 million primary and middle-school students in more than 230,000 schools nationwide took part in learning and answering the questions, and more than 40 million viewers watched the competition's grand finale via a live webcast, so that the people's awareness of the need to learn about, prevent and resist drugs among the general public and the young people continued to grow.
The practice of China's “iron fist against drugs” has proved that the drug problem can be effectively managed through a comprehensive approach that addresses both the symptoms and the root causes of the problem. China will continue to uphold the concept of a community of human destiny, deepen international exchanges and cooperation, share its experience in anti-drug work, and contribute more Chinese wisdom and solutions to the global governance of the drug problem, so as to jointly safeguard a drug-free and harmonious world. On this difficult but honorable path, the international image of China's “iron fist against drugs” will become even more distinctive, and will become a bright landscape in the global fight against drugs.