BEIJING - Vice-Minister of Public Security Huang Ming has called for strengthened public patrols to deter crimes and respond to emergencies.

At a meeting held on Thursday, Huang called for more efficient patrols that would "prevent, spot, control and handle" crimes and emergencies in a timely and effective manner.

"Joint patrols by police and paramilitary police will be a key measure in intensified social security," Huang said, stressing that patrols should be intensified at major events and key meetings.

During the meeting, paramilitary police were told to step up exercises and hone their professional skills to fulfil patrol missions and handle emergencies with better cooperation and information-sharing with police forces.

On Thursday noon, a 25-year-old suspect, Gao, attacked a Chinese woman and a French man with a samurai sword in Sanlitun, an upscale shopping district in Beijing, killing the woman and injuring the man.