Beijing security gets ministerial inspection

China is faced with a grim and complicated situation in its fight against terrorism after the latest Tiananmen Square attack and public security organs at all levels must step up measures to stop such strikes at early stages of their evolution, China's Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun, said on Monday in Beijing as he took surprise inspection tours of the city's subway train stations.

"Public security officers of all levels must fully understand the current situation, stay alert to potential attacks, expect the worst scenario, thoroughly reflect on the lessons we have learned from the October 28 attack and make use of these lessons so that we can strengthen our prevention measures comprehensively to destroy terrorism schemes at an early stage," Guo said.

As part of his inspection tour, Guo supervised the security mechanism at the Tiananmen Square area and took Subway Line 1 to the Yong'anli Station, on Monday night. Guo spoke with commuters and sought their suggestions on further tightening security in Beijing's underground train network, according to a statement posted on his ministry's official website.

Later that night, Guo visited the Baimiao public security station in Tongzhou district, to examine if the moat surrounding Beijing met security standards.

The minister asked police officers to improve vigilance and stay alert to potential terror threats ahead of the key Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, which is due to be held in Beijing between November 9 and 12.

A sport-utility vehicle crashed into crowds and set aflame near the Tiananmen rostrum in central Beijing at noon on October 28, killing five people and injuring 40 others, police said.

The dead included the three occupants of the SUV, a female tourist from the Philippines and a male tourist from South China's Guangdong Province.

Beijing police described the attack as an act of terrorism, which was "carefully planned, organized and premeditated," and arrested a few people from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region suspected to be involved.

Deputy ministers of public security Fu Zhenghua and Li Wei were also present at the surprise inspections.