ABSTRACT
The People’s Republic of China, with its population of more than 1.3 billion (a ¡fth of the world’s total population), is currently undergoing many changes toward the development of an open market economy. Under its new “open policy,” China desires that its criminal justice system, including its police system, is understood. The police system in China has long been shrouded in secrecy and not been fully revealed to the West, especially not by the people of Chinese origin. This chapter attempts to provide an initial ¡rsthand account of the police system in China. We describe the historical development of the police force, its overall organizational structure, the types of police forces, dynamic factors in«uencing and controlling the system, the crime situation that has resulted from Chinese policing, and a comparison between the policing in China and the policing in the United States.
