China's police have been ordered to end the practice of arrest quotas, in a move to safeguard the rights of the public.

State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Zhou Yongkang also told all police, especially "grass-roots" units, that they must shed their interests in all commercial recreational facilities.

Zhou, who is also member of both the Political Bureau and the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, urged all officers to refrain from any actions that offended public morality, caused public outrage or violated human rights.

Zhou made the order Thursday at a national teleconference on strengthening the management of community-based police units, which he described as the cornerstone of public security work.

The work of community-based police officers was directly related to the public interest and had a direct impact on the authority of the CPC and the government, he stressed.

Zhou said police must enforce the law in a strict, fair and civilized manner.

(Xinhua News Agency August 1, 2003)