Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice

This sociohistorical study of the development of criminology in the People’s Republic of China not only considers available primary and secondary sources but also directly draws upon fieldwork interviews conducted with prominent scholars in China in 2007. Crime has been a silent partner in Chinese modernization, and law and order have been as central to the Chinese ruling elite’s priorities as the promise of prosperity and economic growth. Criminology as a field of study with recognized scholars and research publications has been established in China, and our article critically examines the development, focus and scope, direction and trends, and underpinning theories.

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.

China has undergone unprecedented legal reforms in the past three decades in an attempt to restore and reconstruct its legal system. This article provides an overview of the historical and recent developments of the legal system in China. It also discusses important issues such as judicial independence, criminal processes, legal representation, and professionalism among judicial officers.

This article attempts to describe and analyze the Chinese system of corrections and punishment as it appears in front of the world. First is a review of historical development. The focus is then placed on the analysis of the Chinese correctional system with respect to its structure, legal framework, practice, management, and operational effectiveness. The article ends up with an examination of what reforms China is undertaking in response to domestic and international criticisms against its practices in corrections and punishment.

Using available information and data, this study examines the historical patterns and characteristics of official corruption in contemporary China. The study identifies four waves of official corruption associated with different stages of the nation’s economic reform. Each wave of corruption has different forms and targets. In our analysis, the general trend is that as the nation’s economic reforms move forward, official corruption in China is becoming more serious and pervasive with more money and higher ranked officials involved in corruption cases. This is raising a serious challenge to Chinese authorities who have shown a willingness and effort to control official corruption.We conclude that without fundamental political reform, official corruption is not likely to be controlled in China.

Prostitution reemerged in China in the 1980s and has become rampant ever since then—attracting enormous attention and academic interest. This article examines the history of prostitution in China, from its roots to the causes of its resurgence. It also examines China’s legal responses and policies and their limited effectiveness in containing the growth of the sex industry. In considering the possible relationship between prostitution and human trafficking, this article intends to improve our understanding of the link between the sex industry and sex trafficking, and to push for empirical studies on Chinese women working as prostitutes.

Since its first Internet connection with the global computer network in 1994, China has witnessed explosive Internet development. By the end of 2008, China replaced the United States as the largest Internet user of the world. Although China enjoyed tremendous economic benefits from Internet development, the Chinese government has tried to maintain tight control over the telecommunications industry and the public Internet use, and fight increasing cyber crimes. In this article, we first review historical development of Internet use in China and then focus on China’s Internet censorship and its regulatory control. Next, we explore how the Internet is actively utilized by both the government and the public to serve political and civic functions. Finally, we discuss cyber crimes as an emergent form of crime in China and examine how the Chinese government reacts to these offenses. Lessons from Internet use and regulation in China are also discussed within the context of China’s economic, political, and legal conditions.