Starting Wednesday from Simao Port in southwest China's Yunnan Province and moving to Chiang Khong Harbor in Thailand, the team will inspect drugs control measures in major areas and ports along the Lancang-Mekong River and hold meetings.

The team is composed of 18 officials from the four countries' narcotics departments. The inspection is expected to be completed in one week.

The anti-drugs inspection plan was approved by the four countries in Thailand's Chieng Mai in January 2002.

The Lancang-Mekong River is the only international watercourse running through six Asian countries. It originates in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and runs for 4,880 km through Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Anti-drugs efforts are constantly underway along the river because it runs through the Golden Triangle of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. China's southwest border in Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is adjacent to the infamous drug-producing region.

(Xinhua News Agency July 3, 2003)