BEIJING - China will strengthen management of foreigners illegally entering, living or working in China, a senior police officer vowed Wednesday.

Vice-Minister of Public Security Yang Huanning made the remark while delivering a report on the administration of entry-exit, residence and employment of foreigners to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the top legislature.

According to Yang, the crackdown will include improving visa policy, strengthening border control, repatriating illegal aliens, and setting up repatriation locations in regions that have large numbers of such foreigners.

Yang said it is difficult to manage foreigners illegally entering, living or working in China, as there is no detainment locations for them and a lack of foreign-language-speaking police staff.

"Some foreigners refuse to provide their real identities, and some foreign embassies and consulates in China are inefficient in verifying identities," said the public security official.

Most illegally entered foreigners are from neighboring countries, said Yang, adding that languages training, performance, housekeeping and labor-intensive industries are the main sectors illegally employing foreigners.

Police last year investigated more than 20,000 incidents in which foreigners illegally entered, lived or worked in China, double the number of 1995, according to Yang.

Almost 600,000 foreigners lived in China for more than six months in 2011, compared to only 20,000 in 1980, while 220,000 foreigners were employed in the country in 2011, compared to 74,000 in 2000.

A draft law on exit and entry administration was submitted Tuesday to lawmakers for its second reading. The draft stipulates harsher punishments for people who enter or exit China illegally.