A policeman checks on confiscated illegal replica guns in Guiyang, Guizhou province, March 6, 2014. China has seized approximately 15,000 illegal guns in three provinces of south China, marking its largest haul of illegal firearms as it steps up efforts to crack down on violent crime. Reuters
IBT
A raid in southern China resulted in the seizure of over 10,000 illegally owned guns, in addition to thousands of illegal knives. And besides being the largest haul of illegal firearms to date in China, the raid in the city of Guiyang, located in Guizhou province, has brought to the light once more China’s evolving, underground gun culture.
China’s weapons laws are among the world’s strictest. The country bans all private gun ownership, with very few exceptions. This however has not prevented the emergence of an increasingly robust illegal gun business. China’s central television station, CCTV, reported that 10,500 guns and 120,000 knives were seized by authorities in the crackdown. In general, gun violence in China is not a grave public concern; knives are the more common weapon of choice because of accessibility and availability. Illegal guns are becoming indeed an increasingly dangerous business -- fifteen people were arrested in the most recent raid, accused of gang involvement and illegal firearm trafficking -- but China does not have anything comparable to what an average American would know as "gun culture".
