More than 1,700 Chinese public security bureaus above county levels had unified the three emergency hotlines by the end of last year, China's Ministry of Public Security official said here Tuesday.

Among China's 2,087 public security bureaus above county levels, 1,743 public security bureaus had completed the combination, accounting for 83.5 percent of the total, said the Wang Jikun, deputy director of MPS's general office.

Under the old system, members of the public had to dial 110 for police rescue, 119 for fire, and 122 for traffic accidents.

In 2003, the government decided to introduce the single 110 emergency number in municipalities and counties.

"Police can respond more quickly and different emergency services can be dispatched as necessary," the official said.

Police dispatched assistance in response to more than 5.1 million 110 calls last year, up 73 percent from 2005, the official said.

He said the MPS was also developing technology to screen callers and prevent bogus or inappropriate calls, and to guide people to seek proper emergency aid.

He said 10 percent of public security administrations at county level still offered no 110 emergency service due to a lack of funding.

Source: Xinhua