Chinese Policing in a Time of Transition, 1978-2008

This article examines the development of policing in China over several historical periods. It consists of three major parts. The first section provides a brief historical review of Chinese policing before 1949 and between 1949 and 1977 with the emphasis on mass-line policing. The second section, which is the core of the study, discusses several broad dimensions associated with the so-called strike-hard policing and community policing adopted by the Chinese police since 1978. These pivotal areas include policies and laws, organizational structure and development, field practices and effectiveness, and police accountability and reform. The last section discusses critical issues for the future development of Chinese policing and specifies directions for future research on Chinese policing.