Smart wristbands protect China's left-behind children

GUIYANG - Southwest China's Guizhou province now uses smart wristbands with GPS to track and protect left-behind rural children.

Bijie city and Qianxinan Buyi and Miao autonomous prefecture in Guizhou have spent around 24 million yuan ($3.6 million) to provide smart wristbands for more than 100,000 left-behind children in primary schools, according to Liu Zhongping, deputy head with the provincial department of civil affairs.

The wristband installed with a GPS locator and linked with local police databases allows children to report in emergencies, then policeman can track their location and check on them.

Zeng Ke, deputy county chief of Qianxi in Bijie, said more than 8,000 left-behind children in primary schools in the county had obtained the wristbands.

Nationwide, China has more than 60 million children in rural areas who are left with relatives, usually grandparents, as their parents are away from home often working better-paid jobs in the cities.

These children are easy victims of tragedy such as murder, trafficking and suicide.