| Easier land links to SE Asia mean more goods, drugs in China |
| Friday,June 26,2009 Posted: 05:55 BJT(2155 GMT) |
| From:xinhua Article type:Redistributed |
The development of China's transport links to Southeast Asia has brought more products from the region, but it's also brought illegal drugs. In a conference that ended Wednesday on cooperation between southwest China's Yunnan Province and northern Laos, both sides agreed to speed up logistics trade along the Kunming-Bangkok Road, the most important land artery between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Besides the current five roads between Yunnan and Laos, three more are planned. Participants of the second Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Corridors Forum in Kunming, Yunnan's capital, early this month also called for better logistics cooperation and facilitation of customs procedures. Yunnan borders Southeast Asia's notorious "Golden Triangle" drug producing region bordering Myanmar and Laos. For traffickers, this means more roads and easier ways to smuggle drugs. "Since the Kunming-Bangkok Road was completed last year, we have arrested many suspects trying to smuggle drugs to China," said Gong Huawu, deputy head of the Yunnan provincial border defense troops. "As trade and personnel exchanges between the two countries increase, we will be facing much heavier anti-drug pressures," he said. The "drug road" to China is not limited to the Kunming-Bangkok Road. Situated at the juncture of China, Southeast Asia and South Asia, Yunnan has 20 national ports and more than 90 roads to other countries. Highways from Kunming to Rangoon, Myanmar and Hanoi, Vietnam have been upgraded. "To ensure smooth transportation, no new anti-drug checkpoints were set up on these highways. Their absence provides opportunities for drug-traffickers," said an anti-drug officer who declined to give his name. "The international drug-smugglers usually collect a certain amount of drugs along the border and then transport them to China by highway." Police have increased spot checks and set up more mobile checkpoints to catch traffickers by surprise while keeping road traffic flowing. The efforts have paid off. In the first quarter, the public security border defense brigade in Dehong Prefecture cracked down on 182 drug-trafficking cases and seized 73 kg of drugs. In the first half of this year, Xishuangbanna Border defense troops seized 140 kg of drugs, nearly double the same period of last year. "We also need to educate villagers to prevent drug addiction and raise their awareness of fighting drug crimes," said Hang Guojian, a provincial public security department officer. To cut off drugs at the source, China is promoting a substitute planting strategy, which encourages farmers to cultivate cash crops such as grain, rubber, tea and sugar cane in the Golden Triangle region. From 2005 to 2008, 198 enterprises in Yunnan developed 231 substitute planting projects, said Li Jiming, deputy director of the Provincial Commerce Department. "Farmers in the region do not have to rely on planting heroin to earn their living. The strategy has reduced heroin production." |
 | China Mobile plans to buy companies in Africa, SE Asia 2007-04-24 07:50 |
All articles marked with "Article type: Original" posted on the website of the Ministry of Commerce and its sub-sites are copyrighted by this Website and its sub-sites. Any reproduction or use by any other websites, media or individuals must be attached with a clear indication of "Source: Ministry of Commerce Website".
All articles posted on this website or its sub-sites marked with "Article type: reproduced" or "Article type: translated" and "Article type: redistributed" come from other media, and are provided solely for the user's information, which does not mean this Website or its sub-sites endorse the ideas thereof or assume any legal liability or responsibility for their authenticity. Any other media, websites or individuals must maintain the source of information indication on this Website or its sub-sites when using the information, and shall assume legal liability for the use.
