From the South China Morning Post, via A Glimpse of the World blog (link):
“Gangsters and police belong to the same family.” For hundreds of years, mainlanders have used this popular idiom to illustrate rampant government corruption and blatant collusion between law enforcers and criminals.
The phenomena disappeared after Mao Zedong founded the People’s Republic and implemented totalitarian control. But it has made a strong comeback in recent years as the mainland’s breakneck economic growth and corrupt government and law-enforcement regime have presented lucrative opportunities for criminals assisted by government officials and police officers. But to the alarm of the leadership, triad bosses are no longer satisfied with mere shakedowns, while bribing policemen to turn a blind eye. Learning from their ancestors and foreign counterparts, many have begun infiltrating Communist Party and government departments, notably the police force.
Smart triad bosses have hidden behind legitimate fronts by paying for political positions and have become deputies to the National People’s Congress or the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, from city to provincial and national level. Some have also sent underlings to study and enrol in police academies.
Forget about the Falun Gong or bloody countryside riots. Rampant collusion between officials and gangsters is a clear and present danger to the central government.
