Chinese police on Sunday launched a mobile app to encourage witnesses report the whereabouts of missing or trafficked children.

According to a statement from the criminal investigation bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, more than 5,000 anti-trafficking police will provide updates to the app on receiving new reports of missing children.

Users near where the child disappeared will receive push notifications, including photos and descriptions. The scope of these push notifications will be expanded over time. Police will cooperate with new media outlets and mobile apps to encourage the public to help in anti-trafficking efforts.

"When the local police decides to release the information about the missing kid, everyone with the mobile app within a few hundred kilometers will receive push notifications about it in just a few seconds. In this case, users nearby will pay attention to any irregular situation and call the police if they find the suspects," said Chen Shiqu, vice inspector of Criminal Investigation Bureau of Ministry of Public Security.