Why Does China Suddenly Want to Crack Down on Gangs?

A Chinese paramilitary officer guards over the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China on Dec. 2, 2017. Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images

China has announced that it is undertaking a massive sweep to clean out criminal gangs.

The orders came from the top. During a recent political meeting on Jan. 11, Chinese leader Xi Jinping made it clear: “We need to combine anti-corruption with sweeping out gangs and eliminating evil forces. We need to catch the gang-related organizations, and catch the protectors behind them.”