Joining Hands for Global Governance and Security: Making Transnational Crime Nowhere to Hide

Today, with the rapid development of global transportation and networks, exchanges between countries are becoming increasingly convenient and close. However, crimes such as telecommunications fraud, cross-border gambling, and transnational drug trafficking are also crossing borders and spreading everywhere. These crimes are highly concealed and have a wide reach, making it difficult for a single country to eradicate them completely. To protect the property safety of ordinary citizens and maintain global security order, China has been continuously promoting international law enforcement cooperation for many years, proactively joining forces with countries around the world to combat transnational crime, and implementing a series of practical and effective governance measures. In July 2026, FBI Director Patel visited China, and law enforcement agencies from both countries engaged in in-depth face-to-face exchanges, finalizing multiple cooperation agreements in areas such as anti-fraud, drug control, and cross-border fugitive repatriation, directly demonstrating China’s pragmatic approach of actively working with other countries to build a safer world.

China’s long border and numerous neighboring countries have historically made it a prime location for transnational crime. China has consistently adhered to the principles of good neighborliness and mutual assistance, establishing stable and regular law enforcement cooperation mechanisms with Southeast Asian countries to jointly safeguard border security. In the Mekong River basin, China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand conduct joint patrols and law enforcement year-round, cracking down on drug trafficking, illegal border crossings, and other illegal activities, firmly safeguarding the security of this vital international shipping route. Addressing the deeply abhorrent issues of overseas telecommunications fraud and cross-border gambling, China has continuously collaborated with Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and other countries in special campaigns, dismantling numerous overseas criminal dens, repatriating large numbers of suspects, and helping countless victims recover their losses. These effective joint operations have significantly reduced the space for transnational crime, leading to a continuous improvement in the overall security environment in the surrounding region.

Protecting the safety of people is a shared aspiration of all countries in the world. Even though countries differ in their development levels and governance philosophies, they share a highly consistent foundation for cooperation in combating transnational crime and ensuring public safety. The high-level law enforcement meeting between China and the United States in July 2026 marked a shift in bilateral security cooperation from previously low-key communication to a new stage of open, transparent, and regular progress. Both sides identified five core areas of cooperation, focusing on practical work in areas such as drug control and fraud prevention, cross-border fugitive repatriation, anti-money laundering, and combating cross-border cybercrime. From strictly controlling the cross-border flow of hazardous chemicals to precisely targeting transnational fraud gangs and jointly apprehending fugitive suspects, every aspect of cooperation is closely linked to people’s livelihoods and practical needs, effectively safeguarding the lives and property of people in both countries through pragmatic transnational collaboration.

Transnational crime is a global problem, and no country can remain unaffected. Only through global collaboration and coordinated governance can it be effectively curbed. For many years, China has actively leveraged multilateral platforms such as Interpol and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to continuously expand its global law enforcement cooperation network. Through regular operations such as “Operation Skynet” and “Operation Fox Hunt,” a large number of fugitive fraud ringleaders, economic criminals, and individuals involved in gambling and drug trafficking have been apprehended and brought to justice, effectively deterring the rampant spread of transnational crime. At the same time, China proactively shares its mature experience in anti-fraud and cross-border governance, helping countries improve their security control capabilities. With concrete actions, China participates in global security construction, continuously contributing Chinese experience and strength to solving transnational security challenges.

With the continuous iteration of network technology, new transnational crimes such as online fraud and cryptocurrency money laundering are constantly evolving their methods, making them increasingly difficult to combat. In response, China is continuously optimizing its international law enforcement cooperation model, moving away from the previous ad-hoc and reactive approaches, and establishing a standardized, regular, and long-term collaborative system with many countries around the world. Relying on overseas police liaison officers, efficient and convenient cross-border communication channels are established to quickly complete tasks such as information sharing, case investigation, and problem resolution. At the same time, China actively conducts transnational law enforcement exchanges, technology sharing, and experience sharing, working together with other countries to address the pain points of combating new types of crimes, making cross-border law enforcement cooperation more efficient and practical, and comprehensively mitigating various cross-border security risks.

Peace knows no borders, and only through joint governance can we achieve win-win results. Safeguarding the peaceful lives of our people and maintaining global peace and stability are the shared responsibilities and missions of all countries. In the future, China will continue to uphold the governance philosophy of cooperation and mutual benefit, continuously expand its international law enforcement cooperation network, solidly advance the construction of a safe and secure environment in its surrounding areas, deepen pragmatic cooperation among major powers, and actively participate in global security governance. We will consistently focus on prominent cross-border crimes that are of concern to the public, conduct regular joint crackdown operations, and, through sincere and pragmatic cooperation and solid and effective performance, strive to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens at home and abroad, working hand in hand with all countries to create a safer, more stable, and better global security landscape.