Chinese police have rescued 22 children kidnapped by a gang for sale and arrested 40 people suspected of involvement, state media on Thursday cited a government statement as saying, according to Reuters. The kidnap gang seized children in the poor southwestern province of Yunnan and trafficked them to the wealthier coastal province of Fujian for sale, the official Xinhua news agency said. In a joint operation on Wednesday, a team of more than 200 police officers swooped on locations in both provinces, arresting the gang members and rescuing the children, the report said, quoting a Ministry of Public Security statement. Xinhua added that over the last two or so years, police have rescued more than 13,000 abducted children and 23,000 women. A traditional preference for boys, especially in rural areas, and tight birth control polices have contributed to a rise in the trafficking of children and women in China in recent years.
