Chinese Crackdown on Prostitution in Dongguan

(Credits: Guardian)

After state-owned broadcaster CCTV exposed the widespread prostitution in Dongguan, China’s security ministry told police across the country to ‘firmly crack down’ on prostitution, gambling and illegal drugs.

There have been reports of the sex trade thriving in Dongguan, a southern manufacturing city. City police in Dongguan raided nearly 2000 entertainment venues such as hotels, saunas and massage parlours last week and detained more than 900 people after a report by the state media exposed the prostitution.

A crackdown on prostitution in China could wipe out RMB 100 billion of related economic activity, said an analyst at Minsheng Securities. Economists have calculated that as much as 10% of Dongguan’s economic activity will be affected.

Dongguan’s vice mayor and police chief has been removed from his position. Ten senior police officers have been suspended from duty or penalised.

According to state-run China Daily, Guangdong authorities will soon launch a three-month, province-wide crackdown on prostitution.

Fears grow that Hong Kong’s sex trade will be used to fill the vaccum left in Dongguan. Commissioner of Police Andy Tsang said Hong Kong police will be increasing operations against vice establishments. Hong Kong police will also continue to work with the Guangdong authorities as they continue their crackdown.

It is predicted that the influx in Hong Kong will not only be confined to a rise in prostitution. A senior Hong Kong police officer said it will be ‘bring with it all the usual vice that goes with [prostitution]: narcotics, money laundering, triad protection.’

‘Many working girls from Shenzhen will come across the border via Lo Wu MTR station and do business until around midnight before taking the train back,’ he said.

Prostitution is not an offence in Hong Kong. Instead, police charge sex workers with a range of related offences such as breach of immigration conditions if visitors work as a prostitute, publicly soliciting for sex work, living off the earnings of prostitution or employing a sex worker. The number of sex workers in Hong Kong is estimated to be at least 20,000.