China calls ASEAN countries to join forces against online gambling

Foreign minister Wang Yi said China aims to maintain orderly regional cooperation.

China.- Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said China aims to collaborate with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to tackle online gambling and telecom fraud.

According to China Daily, during a meeting with ten ambassadors from the ASEAN countries in Beijing, Yi said that several cases of online gambling and telecom fraud on the Myanmar-Thailand border have posed serious threats to the interests of citizens from China and other countries.

He then urged the countries to strengthen measures to safeguard people’s safety and property and to ensure that criminals face consequences. He added China is open to enhancing both bilateral and multilateral law enforcement and security cooperation with ASEAN countries to create a secure environment for people-to-people exchanges and maintain orderly regional collaboration.

Chinese authorities have long been working to tackle illegal gambling. In 2020, the country established a blacklist of destinations to which cross-border transfers are restricted.

Chinese authorities have also signed cooperation agreements with various countries in the region to combat online and cross-border gambling.

See also: Chinese president urges Macau to diversify its economy away from gaming