Facing tough economy, China cracks down on police abuse of power targeting businesses

Prosecutors warn of law enforcement deception tactics aimed at swindling entrepreneurs and companies in other provinces

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China has launched a nationwide campaign to strengthen legal protections for private companies as Beijing tries to boost growth in the face of economic headwinds. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:00pm, 22 Nov 2024Updated: 3:58pm, 22 Nov 2024

A report by prosecutors in China’s eastern province of Zhejiang has shed light on how entrepreneurs and private businesses can fall prey to the abuse of power by police.

The report highlights a case dating back to May of last year, when two officials from the public security bureau of an unnamed province began extorting money from entrepreneurs in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, Zhejiang’s provincial prosecutor’s office revealed on Wednesday.

“Profit-driven law enforcement and judicial practices seriously harm the property rights of enterprises and the legitimate interests of entrepreneurs, severely pollute the law enforcement environment, affect judicial fairness, undermine the authority of the rule of law, and damage the business environment,” the agency said.

The case came to light amid a nationwide campaign, launched in February by China’s top prosecutor, to strengthen legal protections for private companies as Beijing tries to boost growth in the face of economic headwinds.

According to the report, a police officer surnamed Yang and an auxiliary police officer surnamed Zhan donned police uniforms, carried police gear including handcuffs and body cameras, and travelled to other provinces to seek financial gain under the pretence of helping entrepreneurs with legal issues.

On June 11, Yang and Zhan used information they obtained from a police database to deceive an entrepreneur named Shen into leaving his home in the city of Wujiang, Jiangsu and going with them to an unknown location, claiming it was necessary for an investigation.