China, Philippines vow to boost bilateral anti-drug cooperation

File photo shows Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte supporters gather during a vigil backing the anti-drugs crackdown at the Luneta park in metro Manila, Philippines February 25, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

MANILA - China and the Philippines have fully affirmed the positive results achieved so far in their anti-drug cooperation, vowing to further strengthen their cooperation in this regard in the future.

The comments and pledge came as officials from the two countries met here recently on the sidelines of the 11th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crimes.

The Chinese officials were from China's National Narcotics Control Commission and Ministry of Public Security while Philippine officials were from Philippines' Dangerous Drugs Board and Bureau of Customs.

Noting that the anti-drug cooperation between China and the Philippines has gone through a long history and achieved fruitful results, the two sides said the current cooperation has entered an increasingly good period.

The two sides refuted distorted reports recently published by certain media, stressing that the fake news were neither in the interests of bilateral anti-drug cooperation, nor in the interests of the two peoples.

With regard to the May 25 bust of a drug trafficking ring and seizure of 604 kilograms of crystal meth, according to the meeting, the Chinese Customs officials discovered the attempt to smuggle the illegal drugs into the Philippines.

It was found out that the drugs have been delivered to the Philippines and the Chinese officials immediately informed their Philippine counterparts, alerting them about the drug shipment.

Philippine law enforcers seized the drugs around midnight and it took less than four hours for the cross-border operation to be implemented.

The Chinese side reiterated that like the current Philippine government, the Chinese government maintains "zero tolerance" policy on illicit drugs, calling on the two sides to further enhance and strengthen collaborative efforts to bust drug smugglers.

According to the meeting, real-time intelligence sharing, coordination, drug rehabilitation are just some of the practices that both countries are looking at in their anti-drug cooperation.

China will also be contributing technical expertise and equipment in the future.