Xu (left) paying a courtesy call on Prawit at the Command 1 Building of Government House on Aug 8. - The Natiion
BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan and China’s visiting Public Security Vice Minister Xu Ganlu pledged closer cooperation on several issues, including fighting call-centre gangs.
Xu, who is also the head of China’s National Immigration Administration, paid a courtesy visit to Prawit at the Command 1 Building of Government House on Tuesday (Aug 8) morning.
Xu is on his way to attend the 26th Asean Directors-General Of Immigration Departments and Heads Of Consular Affairs Divisions of Ministries Of Foreign Affairs Meeting. The meetings began in Phuket on Monday and will conclude on Friday.
Xu and Prawit held discussions for about an hour on several issues, including cooperating to fight transnational crime gangs, especially call-centre gangs.
Several Chinese call-centre gangs call back to deceive Chinese nationals on the mainland while many Thais were hired by the Chinese gangs to deceive their compatriots.
Prawit told Xu during the meeting that the Thai government treated the issue of call-centre gangs with seriousness and Xu pledged support in cracking down on the gangs.
Prawit affirmed with Xu that the long history of Thai-Chinese relations was always taken into account in Thailand’s key foreign policies by all governments.
Prawit said Thailand always adhered to its one-China policy and the Thai and Chinese governments have exchanged visits by national leaders many times.
He said Thailand and China have the potential to increase cooperation on all matters, especially security affairs.
Xu thanked Prawit for the warm welcome and expressed his admiration for Prawit’s role in promoting closer ties between the two countries.
Xu said he agreed with Prawit to step up cooperation on security affairs and enforcement of the law against transnational criminals.
Xu said China would also expand cooperation between the two countries’ immigration affairs, which would lead to sustainably building up joint communities of the two peoples in the future.
Thailand and China pledge closer cooperation in fighting call-centre gangsDuring the meeting, Xu also proposed that the two countries leverage their cooperation on the security and law enforcement among countries in the Mekong and Lanchang basin.
Prawit also expressed condolences to Xu over recent flooding in Beijing and in Hebei province and expressed confidence that the Chinese government would soon mitigate the people’s grievances and rehabilitate the areas soon.
