Armed high-level officials patrolled railway stations across the country on Tuesday night, aiming to strengthen security facilities.

Fu Zhenghua, vice-minister of the Ministry of Public Security, made an inspection of Beijing Railway Station at 9:50 pm and guided police officers to put armed facilities in place.

Fu, also the head of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, said the key to dealing efficiently with emergencies lies in the first few minutes, "so police on duty must react and make decisions fast".

The same night, Liu Yanping, another vice-minister, visited railway stations in Shanghai to check their security. He said every police officer must enhance their awareness of anti-terrorism and should provide stricter crackdowns against terrorists, to ensure public safety.

In addition, an anti-terrorism campaign was launched in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on Tuesday night, Henan Business Daily reported on Wednesday.

Huang Baowei, head of the Zhengzhou public security bureau, inspected rural areas of the city, confirming the identities of people running Internet bars, bathrooms and inns, the report said.

About 100,000 public security officers participated in the campaign, such as police officers responsible for household registration, and mainly inspected regions with large populations, busy zones or sites that often experience traffic jams, according to the report.

The officers erected nearly 300 barriers across the city to check for people carrying hazardous articles, such as knives, or without identity certificates, the report said.

On Tuesday morning, six people were injured in a knife attack in Guangzhou, which was the third attack on people at a railway station in just over two months.