China was seeking to work with Colombia and other South American countries to fight inter-regional drug-related crime, a senior Chinese Ministry of Public Security official said Tuesday.

The amount of cocaine entering China from overseas had increased in recent years, said deputy director of the ministry's anti-narcotic bureau Liu Yuejin, who is heading a delegation here.

Delegation member Li Xianhui said the amount of cocaine seized by Chinese police and the number of the criminal cases related to selling cocaine originating from Latin America had greatly increased and posed a huge threat to China's anti-drug mission.

China therefore was negotiating with Colombian authorities to strengthen information exchange in a bid to stem the drug trade, especially in China, Li said.

Colombia faced one of the toughest tasks internationally in combating drug-related crime and the Chinese government could acquaint itself with the country's efforts and experiences, a Colombian narcotics control board official said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2010)