A senior United Nations anti-drug official said China can play a
key role regionally and globally in fighting narcotics and crime.
Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime, said China has made "considerable
success" in its efforts to crack down on narcotics and drug-related
crimes.
Costa visited China on Monday and Tuesday to hold talks with State
Councilor Luo Gan and officials from the Ministry of Public
Security and the State Drug Administration, and to seek further
cooperation with China.
During the meeting with Costa on Tuesday, Luo said China will
continue to support the United Nations' efforts to fight
drug-related crimes worldwide, according to Xinhua News Agency.
The long-standing problems of drugs and transnational organized
crime have posed significant threats to regional and global peace
and stability, Luo said.
He
added that international cooperation must be strengthened to tackle
the sharply increasing organized and transnational crime in the
wake of rapid economic globalization and frequent international
exchanges.
The visit was Costa's first mission to China since he was appointed
executive director of the office in May.
"The time has come for us to consider doing more work together,"
Costa told China Daily on Tuesday.
Despite the achievements that have been made, there is still a lot
to be done for China, he said. Although China does not produce
narcotics, it is close to countries that either grow drug crops or
manufacture synthetic narcotics. Such products are likely to be
smuggled into China.
He
said the United Nations will cooperate further with China to
enforce laws against drugs and crimes. And prevention should be
given priority in Sino-UN cooperation.
Costa stressed that there should be international cooperation
because narcotics are traded internationally.
"Measures taken in one country (to fight drugs) need to be
supplemented by similar measures in other neighboring countries,"
he added.
In
countries such as Myanmar, where the production of opium is
rampant, efforts should be made to help farmers find an alternative
livelihood, he said. This is another important area of Sino-UN
cooperation, he noted.
Costa said the question of large-scale opium cultivation in Myanmar
can be resolved more easily as China, Thailand and the United
Nations make joint efforts to help Myanmar farmers.
(China Daily December 5, 2002)