The Chinese government will continue its drug control cooperation with other countries and support neighboring countries in substituting the cultivation of opium poppy, said a senior Chinese official on Friday.

Zhou Yongkang, state councilor and director of the National Narcotic Control Committee, made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the Seventh Ministerial Meeting of Signatory Countries of the 1993 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Drug Control, which includes China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

He said China is also willing to offer anti-drug law-enforcement training for neighboring countries and continue to make an active contribution to the MOU mechanism.

"China will make persistent efforts to the anti-drug cause," said Zhou.

He warned that the East Asia sub-region, where the six countries are located, is facing serious challenges from growing transnational drug crimes and appearance of new types of drugs.

"We must devote common efforts to perfect the mechanism and expand cooperation to develop in a more practical direction," said the official.

He suggested the countries share intelligence and information and step up law enforcement cooperation to better crack down on transnational production and trafficking of drugs.

"Let's work to up root the harm brought by traditional drugs," he said.

The ministerial meeting passed a declaration against drug abuse on Friday, promising to enhance their partnership in drug control.

The countries declare to ensure the MOU mechanism as a mutually beneficial, efficient, flexible and substantial platform for sub-regional drug control cooperation and increase technical, financial and in-kind contribution to the MOU mechanism in line with sound responsibility and ownership.

The declaration promises to improve timely communication and consultation on major drug issues.

(Xinhua News Agency May 26, 2007)