China launches campaign against illegal guns

The Ministry of Public Security has launched a nationwide campaign to confiscate illegal guns in response to the killing of a People Liberation Army (PLA) soldier in Chongqing, the South China Morning Post reported. The campaign, which was launched on Friday but announced on the ministry’s website on Tuesday, suggests that the soldier’s killing may have been related to terrorism, the paper said. Others believe that the attack was a retaliation by triad syndicates against Chongqing Communist Party boss Bo Xilai and his deputy police chief Wang Lijun. Bo launched a crackdown on triads in the municipality after he was transferred from Liaoning province a year ago. Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu has arrived in Chongqing and is coordinating the investigation.