China Widens Abuse Crackdown as New ‘Caged Woman’ Case Emerges

(Bloomberg) -- China's top crime watchdog launched a nationwide crackdown on the trafficking of women and children, as another video of a caged woman caused an outcry on social media.

The Ministry of Public Security said the campaign would ensure “political security and social stability” ahead of the Communist Party's 20th leadership congress in the second half of this year, according to a Wednesday report by state broadcaster China Central Television. The drive will start immediately and run until Dec. 31.

The decision comes as the nation's leadership heads into its annual parliamentary summit this weekend, where women's rights are already on the agenda. Officials are focused on eliminating risks this year ahead of President Xi Jinping's expected bid for a precedent-breaking third term.

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Images of a chained mother of eight later found to have been trafficked decades ago have pushed legislative delegates to propose wider investigations and tougher penalties for trafficking. More than a dozen local officials in eastern Jiangsu province were punished over the incident, after initially delaying to investigate the case. Police in central Shaanxi province announced Tuesday they would probe a video circulating on social media of a woman kept in an iron cage.

While reports of abductions of women and children fell by some 88% between 2013 and 2021, according to the state television report, many victims remain with their abductors. A traditional preference for male babies led to a severe gender imbalance with almost 35 million more men than women in the country, which has fed demand for trafficked brides.

The Ministry of Public Security pledged to address these long-standing cases by mobilizing the public to report clues, rescue abducted women and children and “resolutely eradicate the breeding ground for abduction and trafficking.”

With assistance from Bloomberg