11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Domestic and cross-border trafficking continued to be significant problems ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23382]

"The country was both a source and destination for trafficking in persons. Most trafficking was internal for the purposes of sexual exploitation, forced labor, and forced marriage. Some cases involved trafficking of women and girls into forced prostitution in urban areas, and some reports suggested that certain victims, especially children, were sold into forced labor. In many cases women and children were lured abroad with false promises of employment and then trafficked into prostitution or forced labor.
Domestic and cross-border trafficking continued to be significant problems, although the exact numbers of persons involved could only be estimated due to a huge itinerant population of approximately 150 million. The MPS reported about 3,000 cross-border trafficking cases but stated this figure as decreasing by approximately 20 percent every year. NGOs estimated the number of victims trafficked internally each year was between 10,000 and 20,000. Between 2001 and 2005, the government resolved more than 27,280 trafficking cases, arrested more than 25,000 traffickers, and rescued more than 54,121 victims. During 2006 a joint China-Burma investigation uncovered a large human trafficking ring that reportedly lured women to China with employment offers and then forced them to marry Chinese men. In May police in Sichuan Province broke up an Internet-based trafficking gang and rescued three women. In June a court in Shandong Province sentenced four people to life in prison for kidnapping a boy and selling him. From January to August, the government investigated more than 2,100 cases of trafficking victims. In 2006 the government investigated 2,569 cases, and provincial governments rescued 371 victims and arrested 415 traffickers. Between June and September 2006, the government improved cooperation with Vietnamese authorities, jointly disrupting 13 trafficking networks and rescuing 193 victims. The government also launched antitrafficking operations with Vietnam, Thailand, and Burma in late 2006. In August border police arrested three traffickers attempting to smuggle 12 teenagers to Canada. In December 2006 the government convicted and sentenced six traffickers to life imprisonment in Anhui Province."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Kidnapping and the buying and selling of children for adoption increased over the past several years, particularly in poor rural areas ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23383]

"Kidnapping and the buying and selling of children for adoption increased over the past several years, particularly in poor rural areas. There were no reliable estimates of the number of children trafficked. Most children trafficked internally were sold to couples unable to have children, particularly sons. In the past most infants rescued were male, but increased demand for children reportedly drove traffickers to focus on females as well.
NGOs reported an increase in child trafficking, especially in rural areas, and cases of children forced to work as beggars, petty thieves, and prostitutes. Some children worked in factories, but many ended up under the control of local gangs and were induced to commit petty crimes such as purse snatching."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Over the past 5 years there reportedly was an increase in cross-border trafficking cases ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23384]

"Over the past five years there reportedly was an increase in cross-border trafficking cases, with most trafficked women and girls coming from North Korea, Mongolia, and Vietnam. Others came from Burma, Laos, Russia, and Ukraine. They were trafficked into the country for sexual exploitation, forced marriage, and indentured servitude in domestic service or businesses. North Korean women and girls were trafficked into the country to work in the sex industry and for other purposes. Because the government continued to treat North Korean trafficking victims as economic migrants, they were routinely deported back to North Korea. North Korean women reportedly were sold for approximately $406 to $1,358 (RMB 2,900 to RMB 9,700). Women reportedly were also trafficked from Vietnam for the purpose of forced marriage. The UN reported that Chinese citizens were most often trafficked to Malaysia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Second-tier destinations included Australia, European countries, Canada, Japan, Burma, Singapore, South Africa, and Taiwan.
Trafficked persons became entangled with alien smuggling rings, which often had ties to organized crime and were international in scope. Persons trafficked by alien smugglers paid high prices for their passage to other countries, where they hoped that their economic prospects would improve. Some reportedly promised to pay from $32,340 to $53,900 (RMB 231,000 to RMB 385,000) each for their passage. Upon arrival, many reportedly were forced to repay traffickers for the smuggling charges and their living expenses by working in specified jobs for a set period of time. Living and working conditions for trafficked persons were generally poor. Traffickers restricted their movements and confiscated their travel documents. Threats to report trafficking victims to the authorities or to retaliate against their families if they protested made trafficked persons even more vulnerable. When arrested and brought to court, human smugglers received five- to 10-year jail sentences and fines up to $6,468 (RMB 46,200). In very serious cases, courts imposed life imprisonment or the death penalty."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Authorities acknowledged that some victims of trafficking continued to be sentenced or fined because of corruption among police ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23385]

"MPS officials stated that repatriated victims of trafficking no longer faced fines or other punishment upon their return. However, authorities acknowledged that some victims continued to be sentenced or fined because of corruption among police, provisions allowing for the imposition of fines on persons traveling without proper documentation, and the difficulty in identifying victims. Trafficking victims often lacked proper identification, which made it difficult to distinguish them from persons who illegally crossed borders. MPS trained border officials to spot potential victims of trafficking, and MPS opened two Border Liaison Offices on the Burma and Vietnam borders to process victims. However, the ACWF reported that ongoing problems continued to require intervention to protect trafficking victims from unjust punishment.
[…]
The principal organs responsible for combating trafficking or assisting its victims were the MPS, the State Council's Work Committee for Women and Children, and the ACWF. In addition the SPC, the SPP, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Central Office in Charge of Comprehensive Management of Public Order, and the Legislative Office of the State Council played roles in this area. It was central government policy to provide funds to provincial and local police to house victims and return them to their homes. Government-funded women's federation offices and other women's organizations provided counseling on legal rights, rehabilitation, and other assistance to trafficking victims, although lack of funding reportedly limited services in many areas. The government and NGOs also supported centers in communities with large numbers of migrant laborers, to train members of at-risk groups to avoid being trafficked and to get out of trafficking situations. The government distributed information to combat trafficking, and schools provided antitrafficking training to students. The December 13 National Action Plan (NAP) to combat trafficking, the first of its kind in the country, requested ministries to expand victim services by providing training, rehabilitation, counseling, and other assistance. The NAP required all relevant ministries to draft implementing plans. The ACWF assisted victims in obtaining medical and psychological treatment. Overseas NGOs provided treatment to trafficking victims and conducted educational outreach programs to educate rural youth about the dangers of trafficking."

Document(s): Open document

10.10.2007 - Source: Congressional-Executive Commission on China

In the past five years, there has been a rise in cross-border trafficking cases, with internal and international traffickers increasingly working together ("Annual Report 2007") [ID 21410]

"The Chinese government has taken some steps to establish a national-level anti-trafficking coordinating mechanism, to increase public awareness, to expand the availability of some social services for victims of trafficking, and to improve international cooperation. The Chinese government reports that efforts have led to a decline in some forms of trafficking, but also notes that there has been an increase in other forms of trafficking that have not received as much attention, such as using trafficking victims to perform forced labor or engage in commercial sex. Within the past five years, for example, there has been a rise in cross-border trafficking cases, with internal and international traffickers increasingly working together. The U.S. State Department also notes that the Chinese government ``continued to treat North Korean victims of trafficking as economic migrants, routinely deporting them back to horrendous conditions in North Korea.''"

Document(s): Open document

12.06.2007 - Source: US Department of State

China is source, transit, and destination country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor ("Trafficking in Persons Report 2007") [ID 20878]

"The People's Republic of China (P.R.C.) is a source, transit, and destination country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Children are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation. The majority of trafficking in P.R.C. is internal, but there is also considerable international trafficking of P.R.C. citizens to Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America, which often occurs within a larger flow of human smuggling. Women are lured through false promises of legitimate employment only to be forced into commercial sexual exploitation largely in Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan. There also are cases involving P.R.C. men and women smuggled into destination countries throughout the world at an enormous personal financial cost and then forced into commercial sexual exploitation or exploitative labor in order to repay debts to traffickers. Women and children are trafficked into China from Mongolia, Burma, North Korea, Russia, and Vietnam for forced labor, marriage, and prostitution. Most North Koreans seeking to leave North Korea enter northeastern China voluntarily, but some of these individuals, after they enter P.R.C. in a vulnerable, undocumented status, are then sold into prostitution, marriage, or forced labor."

Document(s): Country Narratives: A through G
Full Report

12.06.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Domestic trafficking remains the most significant problem; 10,000 to 20,000 victims trafficked internally each year; 90 percent are women and children ("Trafficking in Persons Report 2007") [ID 20879]

"Domestic trafficking remains the most significant problem in China, with an estimated minimum of 10,000 to 20,000 victims trafficked internally each year. International organizations report that 90 percent are women and children, trafficked primarily from Anhui, Henan, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou Provinces to prosperous provinces along P.R.C.'s east coast for sexual exploitation. While it is difficult to determine if P.R.C.'s male-female birth ratio imbalance, with more males than females, is currently affecting trafficking of women for brides, some experts believe that it has already or may become a contributing factor."

Document(s): Country Narratives: A through G
Full Report

12.06.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Government failed to improve comprehensive victim assistance in a number of locations; efforts to combat trafficking for forced labor remained inadequate ("Trafficking in Persons Report 2007") [ID 20880]

"The Government of P.R.C. does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. China is placed on Tier 2 Watch List for the third consecutive year for its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to improve comprehensive victim protection services and address trafficking for involuntary servitude. China made improvements in some areas, such as by sustaining efforts to enforce its laws against trafficking and showing some improvements in victim care in key geographic locations by building shelters to provide trafficking victims with short-term care. It failed, however, to improve comprehensive victim assistance in a number of locations and continued to treat North Korean victims of trafficking as economic migrants, routinely deporting them back to horrendous conditions in North Korea. China improved its cross-border anti-trafficking cooperation with Vietnam and at times cooperated with the United States law enforcement agencies on select human smuggling cases. The two sides established a working group on human smuggling under the framework of the U.S.-China Joint Liaison Group on law enforcement cooperation. China's efforts to combat trafficking for forced labor remained inadequate. China should take significant measures to improve in these areas; revise its anti-trafficking provisions to align with its international obligations, including prohibiting the commercial sexual exploitation of children under age 18 and all forms of forced labor; and proceed with its plans to finalize and adopt the National Action Plan."

Document(s): Country Narratives: A through G
Full Report

12.06.2007 - Source: US Department of State

China does not prohibit commercial sexual exploitation involving coercion or fraud, nor does it prohibit all forms of trafficking ("Trafficking in Persons Report 2007") [ID 20881]

"China sustained its record of criminal law enforcement against traffickers over the reporting period, though government data is difficult to verify and appears to conflate trafficking with human smuggling and illegal adoptions. P.R.C. law criminalizes forced prostitution, abduction, and the commercial sexual exploitation of girls under 14 through its criminal code. Prescribed penalties under these provisions, including life imprisonment and the death penalty, are sufficiently stringent to deter and commensurate with those prescribed for grave crimes. China does not prohibit commercial sexual exploitation involving coercion or fraud, nor does it prohibit all forms of trafficking, such as debt bondage. While Article 244 of its criminal code bans forced labor by employers, the prescribed penalties of up to three years' imprisonment and/or a fine under this law are not sufficiently stringent, though serious cases can draw harsher penalties. During the reporting period, China reported investigating 3,371 cases of trafficking of women and children. These figures, however, may include cases of child abduction for adoption, which is not considered a trafficking offense for Report evaluation purposes, or human smuggling. Throughout the country, provincial governments rescued 371 victims and arrested 415 suspected traffickers. Between June and September 2006, China improved cooperation with Vietnamese authorities, jointly disrupting 13 trafficking networks and rescuing 193 victims. The government reportedly launched similar operations with Thailand and Burma in late 2006. China did not provide data for its overall conviction record; at least six traffickers were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2006 in Anhui Province."

Document(s): Country Narratives: A through G
Full Report

12.06.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Involuntary servitude of Chinese nationals within China and abroad persisted ("Trafficking in Persons Report 2007") [ID 20882]

"Involuntary servitude of Chinese nationals within China and abroad persisted, though the extent of the problem is undocumented. The government did not report any investigations, arrests, or prosecutions for this offense. According to reports in China's official media, in at least four cases, China imposed prison sentences and fines against employers who restricted the freedom of migrant workers. Over the reporting period, the Ministry of Labor increased its force of full- and part-time labor inspectors to strengthen efforts to address coercive work practices. Although the Chinese Government has cracked down on general corruption, it did not demonstrate concerted efforts to investigate and punish government officials specifically for complicity in trafficking."

Document(s): Country Narratives: A through G
Full Report

12.06.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Modest progress to protect victims of trafficking, focusing particular attention to its vulnerable southern border provinces ("Trafficking in Persons Report 2007") [ID 20883]

"China made modest progress during the reporting period to protect victims of trafficking, focusing particular attention to its vulnerable southern border provinces. The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) reported opening two Border Liaison Offices (BLO) along the border with Burma and Vietnam in the fall of 2006. The BLOs provide short-term shelter and can provide medical care. With assistance from the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), a government-funded and directed nationwide social organization, victims are then assisted with repatriation. MPS officers in these BLOs have reportedly received training to help them better identify trafficking victims. Additionally, the ACWF reports to have opened shelters in Guangxi, Jiangsu, Yunnan, and Sichuan Provinces. Provincial authorities in Guangxi also established a Border Trafficking Aid Center in February 2006 that provides shelter, medical care, and short-term rehabilitation for up to 30 victims. The Women's Federation and NGOs have set up national and regional hotlines that can help women obtain legal advice and assistance."

Document(s): Country Narratives: A through G
Full Report

12.06.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Protection services remain temporary and inadequate to address victims' needs ("Trafficking in Persons Report 2007") [ID 20884]

"Protection services remain temporary and inadequate to address victims' needs; for example, in Yunnan Province, victims of commercial sexual exploitation are not offered psychological assistance and are generally sent home after a few days. The government relies on organizations such as Save the Children to safely repatriate victims. China has taken steps to improve intra-governmental coordination and cooperation with organizations outside of government in the most vulnerable provinces."

Document(s): Country Narratives: A through G
Full Report

12.06.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Women found in prostitution are, in many instances, automatically treated as criminals without adequate efforts to identify whether any are victims of trafficking ("Trafficking in Persons Report 2007") [ID 20885]

"China has taken some steps to better identify and protect some foreign and domestic trafficking victims, particularly through enhanced cross-border cooperation. Nevertheless, some trafficking victims, including some mainland Chinese victims repatriated from Taiwan and trafficking victims from North Korea, have faced punishments; or, in the case of North Koreans whom China considers economic migrants, systematic deportation. The government does not provide foreign victims with legal alternatives to removal to countries in which they may face hardship or retribution. Women found in prostitution are, in many instances, automatically treated as criminals without adequate efforts to identify whether any are victims of trafficking. The MPS states that Chinese trafficking victims returning from abroad were not punished or fined, but the ACWF reports that protection from punishment is only on an ad hoc basis with intervention from ACWF staff."

Document(s): Country Narratives: A through G
Full Report

12.06.2007 - Source: US Department of State

China increased efforts to prevent trafficking in persons but still has not adopted its draft national action plan to combat trafficking in persons ("Trafficking in Persons Report 2007") [ID 20886]

"China increased efforts to prevent trafficking in persons this year. The government cooperated with neighboring countries to dismantle several cross-border trafficking networks trafficking women and children. Yunnan Province authorities held a media outreach seminar to raise awareness among journalists of anti-trafficking strategies, victim protection, and relevant legislation. Other public awareness programs included: a campaign by the Sichuan authorities targeting major labor markets with informational posters, public service announcements on large television screens in the markets; and the distribution of pamphlets explaining legal protections, resource information, and hotline numbers for migrant workers who are at risk of being trafficked. Though it took some steps forward, China still has not adopted its draft national action plan to combat trafficking in persons. China has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol."

Document(s): Country Narratives: A through G
Full Report

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Prostitution involves organized crime groups and businesspersons as well as the police and the military ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19155]

"Although prostitution is illegal, experts estimate that there were 1.7 to five million commercial sex workers in the country. The commercialization of sex and related trafficking in women trapped tens of thousands of women in a cycle of crime and exploitation and left them vulnerable to disease and abuse (see section 5, Trafficking). According to state-run media, one out of every five massage parlors in the country was involved in prostitution, with the percentage higher in cities. A 2004 Guangdong Province survey found that 74.2 percent of massage parlor workers were involved in prostitution. Unsafe working conditions were rampant among the saunas, massage parlors, clubs, and hostess bars in cities. Research indicated that up to 80 percent of prostitutes in some areas had hepatitis.

Although the government made some efforts to crack down on the sex trade, credible media reports claimed that some local officials were complicit in prostitution, owned prostitution venues, or received proceeds from such businesses. Prostitution involved organized crime groups and businesspersons as well as the police and the military. Actions to curtail prostitution had limited results. In 2004 according to state-run media, an investigation of prostitution at entertainment facilities in Guangdong Province led to the permanent closure of 15 percent and temporary closure of another 40 percent of the facilities investigated. Courts have prosecuted persons involved in organizing and procuring prostitutes."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Juvenile crime fell after increasing sharply in 2005 ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19159]

"According to official statistics, during the year juvenile crime fell after increasing sharply in 2005. In 2005 courts heard cases involving 82,692 juvenile offenders, up 18 percent from 2004 when courts heard cases involving 70,086 juvenile offenders. During the first eight months of the year, 11.4 percent fewer juveniles were convicted of crimes than during the same period in 2005. From 2000 to 2005, the annual increase in juvenile crime was approximately 11 percent. Abolition of the system of custody and repatriation in 2003 reduced the number of children detained administratively. Nonetheless, more than 150,000 "street children" lived in cities, according to state-run media. This number was even higher if the children of migrant workers, who spend the day on the streets were included. Juveniles were required by law to be held separately from adults, except when facilities were insufficient. In practice children sometimes were detained without their parents, held with adults, and required to participate in forced labor (see sections 1.c. and 6.c.)."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Trafficking in persons remains a serious problem ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19161]

"Although the law prohibits human trafficking, trafficking in persons remained a serious problem. The country was both a source and destination country for trafficking in persons. Most trafficking was internal for the purposes of forced labor and forced marriage. Some cases involved trafficking of women and girls into forced prostitution in urban areas, and some reports suggested that certain victims, especially children, were sold into forced labor. In many cases, women and children were lured abroad with false promises of employment and then trafficked into prostitution or forced labor.[...]

Trafficked persons became entangled with alien smuggling rings, which often had ties to organized crime and were international in scope. Persons trafficked by alien smugglers paid high prices for their passage to other countries, where they hoped that their economic prospects would improve. There were credible reports that some promised to pay from $30,000 to $50,000 (RMB 240,000 to RMB 400,000) each for their passage. Upon arrival, many reportedly were forced to repay traffickers for the smuggling charges and their living expenses by working in specified jobs for a set period of time. Living and working conditions for trafficked persons were generally poor. Traffickers restricted their movements and confiscated their travel documents. Threats to report trafficking victims to the authorities or to retaliate against their families if they protested made trafficked persons even more vulnerable. When arrested and brought to court, human smugglers received five- to ten-year jail sentences and fines up to $6,000 (RMB 48,000). In very serious cases, courts imposed life imprisonment or the death penalty.

MPS officials stated that repatriated victims of trafficking no longer faced fines or other punishment upon their return. However, authorities acknowledged that errors sometimes occurred because of corruption among police, provisions allowing for the imposition of fines on persons traveling without proper documentation, and the difficulty in identifying victims. Trafficking victims often lacked proper identification, which made it difficult to distinguish them from person who illegally crossed borders.[...]

Despite government efforts to eliminate trafficking in women and children, the problem persisted. There were reports of local officials' complicity in both alien smuggling and in prostitution, which sometimes involved trafficked women. In some cases, village leaders sought to prevent police from rescuing women who had been sold to villagers.

The two principal organs responsible for combating trafficking were the MPS and the State Council's Work Committee for Women and Children. In addition, the SPC, the SPP, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Central Office in Charge of Comprehensive Management of Public Order, and the Legislative Office of the State Council played roles in this area. It was central government policy to provide funds to provincial and local police to house victims and return them to their homes. Government-funded women's federation offices provided counseling on legal rights, including the options for legal action against traffickers, to some victims. The ACWF assisted victims in obtaining medical and psychological treatment."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Shortage of marriageable women fuels the demand for abducted women ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19162]

"Some experts and NGOs suggested that a shortage of marriageable women fueled the demand for abducted women, especially in rural areas. They argued that the serious imbalance in the male-female sex ratio at birth, the tendency for many village women to leave rural areas to seek employment, and the cost of traditional betrothal gifts all made purchasing a wife attractive to some poor rural men. Some men recruited women from poorer regions, while others sought help from criminal gangs. Criminal gangs either kidnapped women and girls or tricked them with promises of jobs and higher living standards, only to be transported far from their homes for delivery to buyers. Once in their new "family," these women were "married" and sometimes raped. Some accepted their fate and joined the new community; others struggled and were punished; a few escaped. Some former trafficking victims became traffickers themselves, lured by the prospect of financial gain.

According to UN reports, most women and girls trafficked from abroad came from North Korea and Vietnam. Others came from Burma, Laos, Russia, and Ukraine. They were trafficked into the country for sexual exploitation, forced marriage, and indentured servitude in domestic service or businesses. Past reports noted that trafficking of North Korean women and girls into the country to work in the sex industry was widespread in the northeastern part of the country, but reliable sources suggested that the practice has decreased. North Korean women reportedly were sold for approximately $380 to $1,260 (RMB 3,040 to 10,080). Women reportedly were also trafficked from Vietnam for the purpose of forced marriage. The UN reported that Chinese citizens were most often trafficked to Malaysia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Second-tier destinations included Australia, European countries, Canada, Japan, Italy, Burma, Singapore, South Africa, and Taiwan.[...]

The purchase of women was criminalized in 1991 when the NPC Standing Committee enacted its "Decision Relating to the Severe Punishment of Criminal Elements Who Abduct and Kidnap Women and Children." This decision made abduction and sale separate offenses."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Kidnapping and the buying and selling of children for adoption continues ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19163]

"Kidnapping and the buying and selling of children for adoption continued, particularly in poor rural areas. There were no reliable estimates of the number of children trafficked. Domestically, most trafficked children were sold to couples unable to have children, particularly sons. In the past, most infants rescued were male, but increased demand for children has reportedly driven traffickers to focus on females as well.

Children were also trafficked from poorer interior areas to relatively more prosperous areas for work. Traffickers reportedly often enticed parents to relinquish their children with promises of large remittances their children would be able to send home. Some children worked in factories but many ended up under the control of local gangs and were induced to commit petty crimes such as purse snatching."

Document(s): Open document

12.2006 - Source: Congressional-Executive Commission on China

Shortage of human organ donations has reportedly "spurred illegal trading of organs" ("China Human Rights and Rule of Law Update (December 2006)") [ID 19571]

"The China Daily report notes that Chinese health officials acknowledge the shortage of human organ donations in China, and that this shortage has reportedly "spurred illegal trading of organs." A November 14 Xinhua report quotes Huang as saying that each year, approximately 1.5 million people in China need an organ transplant, but only 10,000 receive one. The China Daily report quotes Huang as saying that, "Apart from a small portion of traffic victims, most of the organs from cadavers are from executed prisoners." At a July 2005 conference, Huang became the first senior official to disclose that the majority of organs used in transplants in China come from executed prisoners, according to a November 28, 2005, article (in Chinese) in Caijing Magazine. Qin Gang, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), acknowledged during a September 28, 2006, press conference (in Chinese) that the organs of executed prisoners are used in transplants, but that such use is strictly regulated. Mao Qun'an, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health (MOH), criticized what he called "irresponsible" news media reports about harvesting organs from executed prisoners, but conceded that "improper human organ transplants" have taken place in China due to poor government regulation, according to the China Daily. Medical institutions currently manage organ donations, allocations, and transplant operations in China. The SCMP reported in its November 16 piece that the PLA or PAP typically carries out executions of prisoners in China."

Document(s): Open document

06.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Trafficking in Persons ("Trafficking in Persons Report 2006") [ID 18680]

"The People's Republic of China (P.R.C.) is a source, transit, and destination country for women, men, and children trafficked for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. The majority of trafficking in China is internal, but there is also international trafficking of Chinese citizens to Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Women are lured through false promises of legitimate employment only to be forced into commercial sexual exploitation largely in Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan. There also are cases involving Chinese men and women smuggled into destination countries throughout the world at an enormous personal financial cost and then forced into commercial sexual exploitation or exploitative labor to repay debts to traffickers. Women and children are trafficked into China from Mongolia, Burma, North Korea, Russia, and Vietnam for forced labor, marriage, and sexual slavery. Most North Koreans seeking to leave North Korea enter northeastern China voluntarily but some are forced into sexual servitude or forced labor after arriving in China. Others reportedly are trafficked into China from North Korea. Domestic trafficking remains the most significant problem in China, with an estimated minimum of 10,000-20,000 victims trafficked internally each year; the actual number of victims could be much greater. International organizations report that 90 percent are women and children, trafficked primarily from Anhui, Henan, Hunan, Sichuan, and Yunnan and Guizhou Provinces to prosperous provinces along China's east coast for sexual exploitation. Some experts believe that the serious and prolonged imbalance in the male-female birth ratio may now be contributing to Chinese and foreign girls and women being trafficked as potential brides.

The Government of China does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Accessing information on China's anti-trafficking efforts is difficult due to the closed nature of the government and the lack of many independent NGOs; however, based on the information currently available, China is placed on Tier 2 Watch List for a second consecutive year for its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to address transnational trafficking. The Government of China provides reasonable protections to internal victims of trafficking; however, protections for Chinese and foreign victims of transnational trafficking remain inadequate and victims are sometimes punished for unlawful acts that were a direct result of their being trafficked -- e.g., violations of prostitution or immigration/emigration controls. However, the government began drafting a national anti-trafficking action plan, expected to be finalized later in 2006, that will formally designate anti-trafficking responsibilities to relevant state ministries and NGOs.

China should adopt comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation that includes a full definition of trafficking in persons in line with the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. It should recognize debt bondage and child commercial sexual exploitation--with "child" defined as a person below the age of 18--as forms of trafficking.

Prosecution
China vigorously investigates and prosecutes crimes of trafficking, although the P.R.C. Government's definition of trafficking in persons does not match U.S. and UN definitions. For example, the government considers fraudulent adoptions to be a form of trafficking in persons, but it does not consider debt bondage or involuntary servitude to be trafficking in persons crimes. A number of related criminal statutes address various aspects of trafficking in persons, including laws against trafficking or kidnapping for coercive prostitution, and laws aimed at individuals who traffic in girls under the age of 14 for commercial sexual exploitation. These laws carry substantial penalties, including execution. During the first 10 months of 2005, the Ministry for Public Security (MPS) reported 1,949 cases of trafficking of women and children, though the MPS acknowledges that cases of trafficking and smuggling are both included in this number. China does not provide statistics on convictions or sentences; however, given the nature of the criminal system in China (lack of an independent judiciary and rule of law), most cases likely resulted in convictions with substantial sentences or execution. As with past years, sex trafficking has been the center of the government's law enforcement efforts, not coercive labor practices, such as involuntary servitude and forced labor. The MPS plans to establish an anti-trafficking police unit, and its mandate should include these types of cases. The government conducted some anti-trafficking training for law enforcement officials during the past year. There were no known reports of action taken against trafficking-related corruption.

Protection
The focal point of China's protection policy is the All China Women's Federation (ACWF), which provides some assistance to trafficked Chinese women and girls and also coordinates with other government agencies and international organizations for victim care and assistance. The ACWF, however, has no clear and formal mandate to assume responsibility for the care of trafficking victims who, as victims of a serious crime, technically are part of the MPS mandate on crime. The MPS, however, has no resources or training with which to provide the necessary shelter and counseling for victims. This lack of coordination is expected to be addressed by a National Action Plan on Trafficking in Persons, now being drafted. The government reported that 3,574 women and children were rescued from trafficking situations during the first 10 months of 2005. The MPS, working with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, also provides some shelter, medical care, and psychological services for victims. The MPS, ACWF, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs collaborated in opening shelters and rehabilitation centers in Jiangsu, Yunnan, and Sichuan Provinces, areas with large numbers of reported trafficking victims. The government reported that 2,000 women have received help in these facilities. Another facility in Dongxing, Guangxi Province aids Vietnamese trafficking victims. However, none of these efforts is coordinated and there is no national referral mechanism for victims of trafficking. As such, protection measures vary widely from province to province. Despite providing some reasonable care to identified Chinese victims, efforts to protect foreign victims and P.R.C. women returning from Taiwan remain inadequate. Chinese officials do not adequately differentiate between trafficking victims and illegal migrants seeking to avoid criminal penalties. During the reporting period, there were reports that P.R.C. citizens who were subjected to conditions of trafficking in Taiwan faced fines or other punishment upon their return to the mainland; P.R.C. officials state that this practice is no longer occurring. Burmese and Vietnamese trafficking victims may also face punishment and summary deportation to their countries of origin. MPS officials do not offer foreign victims of trafficking legal alternatives to their removal to countries where they face retribution or hardship. This is particularly the case with regards to North Korean trafficking victims in China, as all North Koreans in China are presumed to be economic migrants.

Prevention
The government recognizes that trafficking is an issue that should be addressed and has significantly stepped up efforts to work with international organizations. The government is working with UNICEF on a National Plan of Action to combat trafficking in persons, but the plan has been languishing for a number of years. Nonetheless, the government does show signs of addressing forced labor conditions among informal and formal sector laborers, which continue to be reported throughout China, and it is actively working with the ILO to address such concerns. A country program to fight trafficking was coordinated by the ACWF, MPS, and UNICEF and resulted in the development of a training manual, video, and other materials designed to educate youth about the dangers of trafficking. ACWF also conducts a number of other anti-trafficking outreach efforts.
"

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05.05.2006 - Source: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Response to organized crime or black society activity in Guangdong and Fujian (links with government officials, repercussions failing to meet demands of criminal gangs, government efforts against organized crime) (" Organized crime or black society activity, particularly in Guangdong and Fujian, including links with government officials, repercussions associated with failing to meet demands of criminal gangs, and government efforts at tackling organized crime (2005 - 2006) [CHN101062.E]") [ID 21975]

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08.03.2006 - Source: Guardian

Tianqi: Police arrest man for rape and killing of at least 4 children; more than 20 children have gone missing during the previous 4 months; man contacted children through chat sites and in internet cafes ("Man held over killing of boys") [#45907],  [ID 17161]

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03.03.2006 - Source: Guardian

Police posts 24,000 officers at state schools and names 50,000 police chiefs "deputy principals" to improve safety after a series of knife attacks on children, hostage-takings, fires and other accidents ("Police posted at state schools to tackle crime") [#45571],  [ID 17162]

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25.02.2006 - Source: BBC News

Hunan province: Orphanage director and 9 other people given jail sentences for buying and selling 78 babies in 2005 alone for adoption abroad; 22 officials dismissed ("Jail for Chinese baby traffickers") [#45080],  [ID 17163]

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11.10.2005 - Source: Congressional-Executive Commission on China

Human Trafficking ("Annual Report 2005") [#37506],  [ID 4426]

see report for further details

"Trafficking of women and children in China remains pervasive. Traffickers are often linked to organized crime and specialize in abducting infants and young children for adoption and household service. They also abduct girls and women both for the bridal market in China’s poorest areas and for sale as prostitutes. This is caused, in part, by the skewed sex ratios growing out of China’s population control policy [...]"

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06.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Trafficking in Persons Report 2005 ("Trafficking in Persons Report 2005") [#33026],  [ID 4427]

"The Peoples’ Republic of China is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. A significant number of Chinese women and children are trafficked internally for forced marriage and forced labor. Chinese women are at times lured abroad with false promises of legitimate employment and then trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to destinations throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America, while Chinese men have been trafficked for forced labor to Europe, South America, and the Middle East. A large number of Chinese men and women are smuggled abroad at enormous personal financial cost and, upon arrival in the destination country, are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation or other forms of exploitative labor to repay their debts. They often face exploitative conditions that meet the definition of involuntary servitude. Women from Burma, North Korea, Russia, Vietnam, and Mongolia are trafficked to China for labor and commercial sexual exploitation and forced marriage.
The Government of the People’s Republic of China does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. China’s placement on Tier 2 Watch List is due to its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking, specifically its inadequate protection for trafficking victims, particularly foreign women and P.R.C. women identified from Taiwan. There are reports of the involuntary return of North Koreans from China to North Korea, as these returnees often face serious abuses. The Chinese Government does not, as a matter of policy, fine identified trafficking victims, but it reportedly and unintentionally does fine some victims — particularly P.R.C. women and girls returning from Taiwan — who are among illegal migrants. China needs to identify these trafficking victims, and provide them with protection, rather than levying fines or other punishment on them. The government should also vigorously investigate allegations of coercive labor practices, including alleged situations of involuntary servitude and forced labor.
[...]"

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04.2005 - Source: UK Home Office

Country Report April 2005 - People Trafficking ("Country Report - April 2005") [#31975],  [ID 4428]

"6.204 On 10 December 2004 the BBC reported, “China has recently cracked down on child traffickers handing out a series of heavy jail terms and several death sentences in the past few months.” [9bq]

6.205 As reported by the BBC on 20 June 2004, “The leader of a gang involved in buying and selling 120 baby girls has been sentenced to death by a court in China. Two other members of the group were given life imprisonment for their part in the trafficking of babies in the impoverished central province of Henan. There was no word on the fate of the girls, sold between 1998 and 2003.” [9ay]

6.206 On the 14 July 2004, the official news agency Xinhua reported that police in Inner Mongolia (Nei Mongol) had arrested 95 people in connection with the sale of 76 infants. [13i] As reported by CNN on the same date, “Investigations showed the parents of the babies were mainly migrant workers, unmarried women or college students in and around Hohhot, capital of Inner Mongolia, it said.” [10a]

Snakeheads (People Smugglers)

6.207 As noted by the US State Departments in their December 2002 paper A Brief Overview of Chinese Migration:

“Nineteenth century Chinese migrations came from areas in China where contact with outsiders had been most intense -- the coastal provinces of Guangdong (Canton), Fujian and Zhejiang. These areas still provide the most significant numbers of illegal immigrants today. In each sending area there is both ready access to ports of departure and enough prosperiy to make travel to overseas destinations economically viable. Today this wide network of overseas ethic Chinese is of critical importance to mainland Chinese wishing to immigrate: it serves to ease the logistics of traveling to and settling in a foreign country, and it lowers the psychological barriers to leaving the homeland.” [2a] (p 1-2)

6.208 As reported by Channel News Asia on the 13 February 2004:

“The network of snakeheads, or human smugglers, operating in China’s Fujian province is “huge”, meeting demand from locals attracted by the potential of earning 10 times an average Chinese wage in Europe, according to a report. “Many snakeheads belong to one family, and others are friends,” a man who worked as a snakehead for 10 years told the China Daily. “They cooperate with each other, take charge of different areas of human smuggling, and get rich by sharing money from the stowaways.” The issue has been thrown into the spotlight by the drowning of 19 presumed Chinese picking cockles a week ago in Britain’s Morecambe Bay. Fifteen of them are believed to be from Fuqing city in Fujian, natives of which have a long history of illegally entering other countries.” [10db]

6.209 As reported by the BBC on 4 November 2004, “In February [2004] 23 Chinese workers drowned when they were trapped by the incoming tide [off Morecambe Bay]. Two bodies are still missing.” As noted by this report, “Twenty of the victims [that] were identified by detectives were from the Fujian province of China, and one was from Liaoning province.” [9bl]

6.210 As reported by the official People’s Daily newspaper on 10 November 2004, police in Yunnan province arrested one snakehead and 58 illegal emigrants from Fujian in early November 2004. According to the report:

“The Chinese snakehead, surnamed He, faked passports and visas and mobilized 58 people from Fuqing City in Fujian to leave China via Kunming Airport and ground transport terminals. The group planned to go to Britain via Myanmar and Brazil with the help of international snakeheads, local police announced Tuesday in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province. The payment that the snakehead received from individual emigrants ranges from 160,000 to 250,000 yuan (approximately 19,350 to 30,230 US dollars).” [12z]

6.211 On 11 November 2004, the Times newspaper reported, “Fuqing County in known as Fujian province’s emigration hotspot. For centuries its residents have sought better lives by moving to countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, then to Amercia and, mosty recently, to Britain.” [16eg]

6.212 The National Institute of Justice in their August 2004 report entitled Characteristics of Chinese Human Smugglers (published by the US Department of Justice) identified several highly specialised roles within a smuggling operation. These were as follows:

“Recruiters are often relatives or close friends of the would-be immigrants who somehow know the smugglers. They may or may not have any further involvement in the smuggling operation.

Coordinators are central figures in smuggling operations because they have the connections to acquire necessary services for a fee. Their survival depends on their relationship with other partners who have access to those services.

Transporters help immigrants leave and enter countries. China-based transporters get immigrants to the border or the smuggling ship. U.S.-based transporters take smuggled immigrants from airports or seaports to safe houses.

Document vendors are well connected and able to produce documents to facilitate the transportation of immigrants. Some documents are authentic, obtained through official or unofficial channels, while others are fraudulent.

Corrupt public officials are the authorities in China and many transit countries who are paid to aid illegal Chinese immigrants. Some corrupt government officials act not only as facilitators but also as core members or partners of a smuggling organization. Subjects who belonged to large smuggling groups often indicated that local Chinese officials headed their groups.

Guides are responsible for moving illegal immigrants from one transit point to another or assisting immigrants who are entering the United States. Crew members are employed by snakeheads to charter or to work on smuggling ships.

Enforcers mostly are illegal immigrants themselves who are hired to work on the smuggling ships.

Debt collectors are based in the United States and are responsible for locking up illegal immigrants in safe houses until their smuggling fees are paid. Additional debt collectors are based in China.” [4h] (p 9)

6.213 According to a report in the Telegraph Magazine dated 26 April 2001, trust and confidence are essential credentials for a snakehead. [16da] (p 2)

6.214 As reported by in the Guardian newspaper on 7 February 2004, “People from Fujian have a long history of seeking their fortune overseas. In extreme cases some villages have 80% of families with someone living overseas.” [16ac]

6.215 On 13 April 2004, the official China Daily newspaper published a frank account of a Fuijanese woman’s journey to America. In it the 37-year-old mother of two from Lianjiang City describes the pressure to leave China, “Everyone in my village was asking me when I’d take off, or why I had not already left. They were confused as to how I could sit still. I’m not the heady type. I don’t want to take too many risk.” (Wu Ying, trafficked person) [14i]

6.216 The report went on to detail how the woman concerned, Wu Ying had approach Snakeheads in Fujian who had arranged her passage to American for a fee of US$ 50,000, half of which was to be paid upon safe arrival there. [14i]

6.217 According to the report once in the US Wu was persuaded to apply for asylum by a local lawyer who it was alleged concocted a fraudulent claim based on association with Falun Gong. Having been refused asylum Wu and her husband’s job prospects were reportedly grim due a surplus of illegal Chinese workers in New York. [14i]

6.218 According to a report in The Economist dated 15 May 2004:

“A lot of villagers around Fuqing have new villas. But few have earned the money invested in them themselves. The land is not good for farming, fishing brings little reward and local factories prefer to hire cheap labour from far inland. The area’s ostentatious peasantry has mostly acquired its gaudy real estate with the help of remittance sent back from abroad. Fuqing’s rural economy is mostly sustained by a custom of sneaking across international borders to find manual work that is ill-paid by western standards but many times more rewarding than farming in Fujian.” [20s]

6.219 According to a report dated 18 November 2004 by the official news agency Xinhua, “Statistics showed that 525,000 Chinese labourers have worked in other economies by the end of 2003. There are currently more than 330 intermediary bodies whose business involves sending Chinese workers abroad. All of them obtain business licenses from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.”
This report also stated that, “China also suffers from illegal immigration. A total of 18,773 foreigners illegally entered and stayed in China in 2003.” [13o]

6.220 According to a report by the CEME (Cooperative Efforts to Manage Emigration), which brought together the findings of weeklong visit to Fujian undertaken in June 2004 economic growth in Fujian stimulates outward migration. According to the CEME most migrants leave using official documents but then either overtstay once abroad or enter via the asylum sysyem. The CEME report also stated:

“There are more than 80 counties in Fujian, but only 2-3 are sources for other countries’ irregular immigrants. Each comprises more than 20 towns, and each town covers up to 20 administrative villages; and can vary in approach. It is difficult to gauge the exact number of exits/entries of the province. Policy and practice are divided between the Entry/Exit Bureau of the MPS and the Border Defence Force of the same Ministry. With 3,000 kilometers of coastline and many thousands of boats, it is difficult to monitor and record all entries and exits.” [20k] (p 5)

6.221 According to the same source, “Dr Xiang’s long-term fieldwork in one of the largest places of origin of Chinese immigrants to Europe, Wenzhou prefecture, Zhejiang province, southeast China, suggests that even within one county, one township may specialise in internal migration and the other in international mobility.” [20k] (p 6)

6.222 According to Dr Frank N. Pieke in this paper entitled Chinese Globalization and Migration to Europe, published 9 March 2004:

“American research (Chin 1999; Zhang and Chin 2000) on Chinese human smugglers has revealed that snakeheads are not triad-like criminal organizations that can be countered by conventional law-enforcement methods aimed at eliminating the organization’s leadership. Rather, snakeheads are independent and highly specialized entrepreneurs enmeshed in loose networks, only cooperating on specific consignments. Consequently, countering snakeheads should focus on spoiling their market, both by raising the risks and costs of their operations and by taking away the demand for their services. The key issue then becomes how many Fujianese a country should admit under a program of migration to make a sufficient number of snakeheads abandon their trade for something less risky and more profitable.” [19f] (p 13-14)"

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10.12.2004 - Source: BBC News

Yunnan: 3 people, convicted in August of abducting and selling 11 young boys, executed in Kunming ("China executes child traffickers") [#27558],  [ID 4429]

Document(s): Open document

26.11.2004 - Source: BBC News

Henan: 8 boys killed and 4 pupils injured in attack by armed man in high school in Ruzhou; man, responsible for September attack in Shandong, in which 24 pupils were injured, was executed ("Eight boys killed at China school") [#27321],  [ID 4430]

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07.10.2004 - Source: BBC News

Fujian: 110 'baby smugglers' arrested; 2 human traffickers sentenced to death for selling 74 women and 22 children ("China holds 110 'baby smugglers'") [#26315],  [ID 4431]

Document(s): Open document

24.09.2004 - Source: BBC News

Leader of gang executed for his part in trafficking and selling 76 babies ("China executes baby smuggler") [#25836],  [ID 4432]

Document(s): Open document

15.09.2004 - Source: BBC News

4 people executed for bank fraud ("Four executed in China for fraud") [#25559],  [ID 4433]

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19.08.2004 - Source: BBC News

Li Haitao, official responsible for looking after cultural relics, has been sentenced to death for stealing them ("Execution for China relics theft") [#24853],  [ID 4434]

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13.07.2004 - Source: BBC News

8 people arrested by Chinese police in connection with trafficking dozens of babies in China's inner Mongolian region ("China halts baby trafficking ring") [#24022],  [ID 4435]

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20.06.2004 - Source: BBC News

The leader of a gang involved in buying and selling 120 baby girls from the impoverished central province of Henan has been sentenced to death; 2 other members of the group were given life imprisonment ("Death penalty for baby smuggler") [#23443],  [ID 4436]

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09.12.2003 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Several hundred Kyrgyz citizens are being illegally held in China, after being left as guarantees by businessmen on a losing streak ("Kyrgyzstan: "Debt Hostages" Scandal") [#18108],  [ID 4437]

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