Criminal organizations in the globalized modern world pose an increasing threat to security. They are difficult to investigate directly because of their implicitly secretive nature. Furthermore, they contain mechanisms similar to those of nation-states, and their actions towards achieving goals are based on the principle of efficiency. To better understand them, in this research paper, criminal organizations are analyzed from the perspective of their interactions with nation-states, particularly their security sectors. A broader context is used to determine the parameters by which the security sector works with criminal organizations in order to achieve common goals. This paper is interdisciplinary, exploring the genesis of criminal organizations within states, criminological background, and cultural patterns that can highlight the specifics of interrelationships that have seemingly been neglected by previous research. Paper approaches the topic by dealing with the case study of a country, China, which was selected because of its international importance and well-researched, yet neglected, cultural characteristics. The research question is: "What are the characteristics of the interrelationship between the security structures and criminal organizations of China?". The intent of this research is also to highlight the Chinese use of criminal organizations internationally, and the duality in its simultaneous domestic conflict with them.