China Voice: Sino-Thai law enforcement shows way for neighborhood diplomacy

China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng is on an official visit to Thailand, the first stop of his two-nation tour, which will also take him to Indonesia.

For China and Thailand, who just celebrated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations, the visit once again showcases the two sides' good will and appreciation of cooperation and exchanges with each other.

Of the previous and ongoing cooperative projects between the two countries, those in the law enforcement field are particularly fruitful and have set a good example for Sino-Thai relations as well as for Chinese diplomacy with other neighboring countries.

Thailand was the first country to sign an extradition treaty with China. The treaty, which took effect in the 1990s, as well as other treaties and agreements between the two countries on cooperation regarding police and judicial work, has provided legal and procedural grounds for joint law enforcement operations.

Earlier this month, 109 illegal immigrants, some of whom are suspected of being implicated in terrorist activities or criminal offenses, were repatriated from Thailand to China.

Amid a Chinese campaign launched in July last year targeting suspects of corruption and other major economic crimes who have fled overseas, Chinese police have worked with their Thai peers to capture fugitives in Thailand and bring them back.

China has also transferred dozens of suspects wanted by Thai police in recent years.

Moreover, the two countries are working closely in fighting human trafficking and drug-related crime under several multilateral frameworks.

Thai authorities provided a great deal of help to China in busting Myanmar drug lord Naw Kham and his armed drug trafficking gang, who were behind the high-profile murder of 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong River in 2011, amid joint operations conducted by the two countries as well as Laos and Myanmar.

The four countries also decided to set up the Law Enforcement Cooperation along the Mekong River Mechanism after the case. To date, the initiative has seen more than 30 joint patrols along the river.

All these moves have helped curb crime, from fraud, corruption to terrorism, and maintain security in China, Thailand and the region.

Moreover, with intensified exchanges and growing consensus, the law enforcement cooperation is expected to be expanded to more areas such as cyberspace security.

The collaboration will also help maintain a good environment for the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

Cross-border and transnational crimes are a common problem for many countries and to solve the problem generally needs efforts by all parties involved, especially neighboring countries.

The partnership between China and Thailand may serve as a good example of how close and practical cooperation, based on mutual trust, can be of benefit. Endi