Forum highlights cross-border law enforcement
Law enforcement departments of countries along the Belt and Road Initiative are enhancing cooperation in the pursuit of fugitives, as well as in anti-terrorism efforts and intellectual property protection, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
Niu Haifeng, a director in the ministry’s international cooperation bureau, said that transnational cooperation is crucial for countries to tackle problems emerging with globalization.
“Many countries are dealing with increasing safety challenges brought on by globalization and population mobility — terrorism and corrupt officials fleeing the country, for example. We hope that a strengthened transnational safety cooperation mechanism can be developed so that law enforcement departments can work more practically and effectively.”
Niu made the comment at the Third Lianyungang Forum and First International Cooperation Conference on Transnational Oil-Gas Pipeline Security, which is being held in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, from Monday to Wednesday.
More than 300 representatives from some 40 countries and international organizations are attending the forum, which was organized by the ministry, together with the public security departments of Jiangsu province and Lianyungang city.
“The international community has a strong desire for safety, and no country can face all problems by itself,” said Wang Yongsheng, director of Lianyungang’s public security bureau.
“We will try to establish platforms for transnational law enforcement cooperation, including joint action coordination, information exchange and security cooperation on projects,” he said. “Only by cooperation can we win the battles and share a better future.”
Since May 2016, Chinese authorities have sent 33 teams overseas to catch fugitives. In 2016, 951 fugitives, including corrupt officials and smugglers, were caught in 72 countries and regions, the ministry said.
About 380 representatives from 37 countries and international organizations attended the previous two forums in 2015 and 2016. They agreed to set Lianyungang as the permanent host site for the forum and to establish training and research centers for international law enforcement cooperation.
In 2013, China proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to build infrastructure and provide services and trade networks.
Known collectively as the Belt and Road Initiative, the project aims to connect countries and regions in Asia, Europe and Africa. It has gained support from more than 100 economies and international organizations, with nearly 50 cooperation agreements signed between governments since 2013.
Lianyungang is an important hub of the Eurasian continental bridge, a train line that starts at Lianyungang and ends at Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
The international community has a strong desire for safety, and no country can face all problems by itself.” Wang Yongsheng,