China calls on ASEAN countries to crack down on online gambling and fraud

According to Reuters on January 16th, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Foreign Minister, expressed during a meeting with the ambassadors of the ten ASEAN countries in China that he hopes relevant countries will take responsibility, take strong measures, and resolutely crack down on online gambling and fraud

In a statement, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs quoted Wang Yi as saying that there have been consecutive malicious cases of online gambling and fraud along the Thai Myanmar border recently, threatening and harming the vital interests of citizens of China and other countries. He also stressed that China is willing to strengthen bilateral and multilateral law enforcement and security cooperation with ASEAN countries to provide a safe environment for people of all countries to communicate with each other in peace

The report states that China's proposal to strengthen security cooperation highlights Beijing's increasing concern over telecommunications fraud and human trafficking in Southeast Asia. This also indicates that Beijing urgently needs to strengthen coordination with ASEAN countries, including Myanmar and Thailand, to combat cross-border crime

It is reported that before the COVID-19 epidemic, the consumption of Chinese tourists in Southeast Asian countries was one of the important sources of income in the region. However, concerns about human trafficking may affect the willingness of Chinese tourists to travel to the region

According to media reports, in 2024, Thailand assisted in the repatriation of over 800 Chinese nationals involved in gambling fraud in Myanmar's Myawadi region. In 2023, with the cooperation of all parties in Myanmar, 41000 suspect of telecom network fraud will be handed over to China