反洗钱利国又利民 持续推动打击治理洗钱违法犯罪

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of anti-money laundering (AML) efforts in protecting both the economy and the public, highlighting the significant risks and damages caused by money laundering activities [2][4][9]. Group 1: Direct Harms of Money Laundering - Money laundering undermines the stability of the economic system, leading to economic distortion and disorder [4]. - It serves as a financial lifeline for other serious criminal activities, including drug trafficking, terrorism, smuggling, corruption, fraud, and tax evasion [4]. - It poses substantial risks to banks and financial institutions, damaging the credibility of the financial system [3]. - Money laundering can result in capital outflows, affecting national foreign exchange reserves and tax revenues, potentially jeopardizing national economic security [3]. Group 2: Legal Framework and Enforcement - The Supreme People's Procuratorate has significantly increased the prosecution of money laundering cases, with 2,971 individuals prosecuted in 2023, nearly 20 times the number in 2019, and a 28.4% increase in the first half of 2024 [5]. - The legal basis for convicting money laundering includes provisions from the Criminal Law, such as Article 191, which defines the elements and penalties for money laundering [6]. - Recent amendments to the Criminal Law have expanded the scope of money laundering offenses, including the criminalization of "self-laundering" and removing previous limitations on fines [7][8]. Group 3: Measures and Strategies - The government is committed to enhancing the legal framework to combat money laundering, including clarifying standards for recognizing "self-laundering" and "third-party laundering" [8]. - Efforts to improve the effectiveness of prosecution include establishing a "dual investigation" mechanism and enhancing collaboration between judicial bodies [8]. - The overall approach reflects a zero-tolerance attitude towards money laundering, with strong measures taken to prevent and combat such activities to safeguard economic security and social stability [9].