China has 2,169 security guard companies with 970,000 security guards by September 2005, said an official with the Ministry of Public Security in Beijing Tuesday.

Ma Weiya, vice director of the social security management department under the ministry, said security guards have played an important role in maintaining social security and building a harmonious society.

In 2004 alone, security guards offered 94,000 clues on crimes to police authorities and helped arrest 107,000 criminal suspects, avoiding 1.32 billion yuan of economic losses.

From 2001 to 2004, 119 security guards died and 10,181 security guards were injured when performing their duties.

Ma said that nowadays, only police authorities are entitled to run security guard companies. In accordance with its commitments to joining the World Trade Organization, China will open its security guard market to overseas investors beginning 2006.

However, the sectors which need security guards equipped with guns will still a taboo for overseas security guard companies, he said.

Source: Xinhua