BOAO /China/, March 28. /TASS/. China and Russia can, through joint efforts by the two countries’ expert communities, effectively contribute to the regional fight against drug trafficking via the platform offered by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a top Chinese drug control official said.
"First of all, both China and Russia are in favor of bringing together experts to play a leading role in global anti-drug work," Tsang Wai Hung, deputy director of China’s National Narcotics Control Commission, said during the Boao Forum for Asia, which is taking place in the southern Chinese province of Hainan. "I believe that China and Russia can jointly use regional platforms, such as the SCO, to work with regional countries to help solve [relevant] problems," he pointed out.
The official said that cooperation in this area is "inseparable from the mutually trust-based relationship" between Beijing and Moscow. He also pointed to the need to further strengthen contacts between the two countries' law enforcement officials.
According to Tsang, China and Russia have a joint position on issues of cooperation at the expert level. "Both Russia and China have achieved results in the fight against drug trafficking. <...> We have achieved efficiency in national governance issues, as well as success in the exchange of experience," he added.
The official emphasized that joint efforts to combat the production and cross-border trafficking of methamphetamines are particularly relevant at the current stage. He noted that this problem now requires even more attention than the fight against opiates (narcotic opium alkaloids - TASS).
This year's Boao Forum for Asia is being held on March 26-29 under the theme "Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibilities." The Russian side is represented at the forum by Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, who will be accompanied by Russian Ambassador to Beijing Igor Morgulov. This forum, nicknamed the "Davos of the East," provides a platform where important agreements are signed and positions are agreed upon by representatives of business and government from countries across Asia and other regions of the world.