Eighty percent of China's illegal drugs are smuggled in from Southeast Asia's "Golden Triangle", Chinese media said on Tuesday as a conference on drug control being held in Beijing.
The one-day conference is being attended by ministers in charge of fighting drugs from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.
Prior to the "China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand Ministers' Meeting on Drug Control Cooperation," officials from the four nations pledged to join hands to fight drug trafficking and drug-related crimes.
International cooperation among countries, rather than solitary efforts, is essential in the fight against illegal drug production, transportation and consumption, said Jia Chunwang, minister of public security.
The Golden Triangle, an area between Myanmar, Thailand and Laos, has become a major source of drug trafficking in China, where drug-related cases have soared.
In the first half of this year, China dealt with 159,565 drug-related cases and arrested 28,218 suspects, an increase of 32.6 percent and 15.4 percent respectively compared to the same period last year.
Although Chinese addicts mainly take heroin, the types of drugs used also have widened over the past few years.
Seizures of heroin, opium and crystal methamphetamine (also known as ice) reached 6,201 kilograms, 1,927 kilograms and 2,969 kilograms in the first half of this year, surging 75.3 percent, 109.7 percent and 17 percent respectively over the same period last year, according to official statistics.
The government also tracked down a record 640,000 ecstasy tablets in the first six months of this year.
Minister Jia said the four countries will step up information exchanges, the planting of alternative crops, combatting drug-related crimes and staff training.
Minister of the president's office of Laos, Soubanh Srithirath said with China's help, Laos and Myanmar have greatly reduced the planting of opium poppies in their boundary areas.
Jia said ministers would hold in-depth discussions on ways to combat cross-border narcotic-related crimes at the conference.
(Chinadaily.com.cn 08/28/2001)
