China supports police to legally use guns, Wu Heping, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Security, said Tuesday.

At a press conference, Wu said that over the past two decades Chinese police have made persistent efforts to fight criminal activities. They encounter great dangers in face-to-face fighting with law-offenders.

Official statistics show that around 400 Chinese police die on duty each year.

Wu stressed that Chinese police have strict rules on using guns, which are considered to be a powerful approach to check and combat criminal activities. On the other hand, the misuse of guns is forbidden.

According to China's Criminal Law, police can shoot at criminals when their lives or common people's life are threatened. In this sense, the legal use of guns by the police should be supported, said the spokesman.

(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2006)