State Councilor and Public Security Minister Zhou Yongkang on Monday urged local and central authorities to launch a special campaign to crack down on cross-border crime, and called for greater international cooperation in this regard.

Zhou said the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission attached great importance to public security and stability in the country's border areas, particularly to the fight against cross-border crimes.

China would strengthen economic development and social stability in border areas, and develop friendly and cooperative ties with neighboring countries to create a better environment for building a well-off society, he said

Zhou was speaking at a Beijing conference on the issue of border stability. He is member of the Political Bureau and the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee.

(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2003)