A senior officials meeting on combating transnational crimes and maintaining social order in the border area of China and Myanmar opened in Yangon Wednesday.

The four-day meeting, which is the first of its kind, was attended by visiting Chinese Deputy Minister of Public Security Zhao Yongji and Myanmar Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Brigadier-General Phone Swe.

The meeting discussed and exchanged views on strengthening cooperation between security and police forces of the two countries in jointly combating transnational crimes and settlement of issues existing in the sector.

Zhao spoke highly of the achievements made in the legal sectors of the two countries in combating such crimes, proposing to further the bilateral cooperation in anti-drug trafficking, money laundering, smuggling of arms and ammunition and explosives, human trafficking and counterfeit as well as in border entry administration, establishment of hot-line contact between departments of security and home affairs, and the system of regular meeting between national border defense departments of the two countries.

Zhao promised the Myanmar side to extend a material aid of 3 million yuan (about US$362,756) to be used in equipping Myanmar police force technically and personnel training.

At the meeting, Phone Swe made positive response, thanking China for the aid rendered to Myanmar.

The meeting will last until Saturday when minutes of the meeting will be signed.

On March 25, 1997, China and Myanmar signed an agreement on border area administration and cooperation, and, in January 2001, the two countries signed a MOU on strengthening cooperation in drug control.

The two countries also held ministerial level meetings 5 times, senior officials meetings 9 times and 3 MOU meetings on cooperation in drug control, and, over the period from 2001 to 2004, Myanmar handed over 34 drug-related fugitives apprehended in Myanmar and wanted by China.

Besides, China has helped trained 85 Myanmar police officers in Yunnan Province Police Academy.

(Xinhua News Agency January 13, 2005)