Introduction

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a source, transit, and destination country for trafficking in persons, primarily for forced labor and sexual exploitation. The majority of trafficking occurs within China’s borders. China’s migrant population is especially vulnerable to internal trafficking. Internationally, victims from neighboring countries such as Burma, Vietnam, Laos, Mongolia, Russia, and North Korea are trafficked into China for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Victims from China are also trafficked worldwide.

This Citizens’ Guide to Fighting Human Trafficking is a resource for individuals and organizations seeking to be actively involved in the fight against human trafficking in China. The government of China has sought to protect trafficking victims by issuing its second National Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, which was effective from 2013 to 2020. In addition, China’s criminal law contains several provisions punishing sex trafficking, forced labour, and other trafficking-related crimes. Thus, there is a legal framework within which individuals and organizations can protect the vulnerable and prosecute the offenders.

Chapter I provides an overview of the global problem of human trafficking and background information on how human trafficking presents itself in China today. Chapter II provides comprehensive, step-by-step procedures for rescuing human trafficking victims, prosecuting perpetrators, and rehabilitating survivors, with citations to pertinent provisions of the criminal procedure laws. Chapter III outlines the legal framework for anti-trafficking legislation, both internationally and in China, to provide context for any efforts undertaken to fight trafficking.

This Guide is the result of collaboration between Justice Ventures International and its many partners who are dedicated to eradicating modern slavery. We would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions of numerous pro bono lawyers and law students, both in the US and China, to the development of this Guide.

If you find this Guide useful, please feel free to share it with others working in China. It is copyrighted under a limited Creative Commons license that permits the copying and distribution of this manual without permission, as long as no financial gain is realized and credit is given to Justice Ventures International. If you are reading this as a hard copy, you can obtain a soft copy by contacting info@justiceventures.org. This work is licensed under a creative commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International License.

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 Justice Ventures International partners with local organizations and global stakeholders to eradicate human trafficking and other extreme injustice by securing justice for individuals, empowering local partners and improving justice systems.