Four Southeastern Asian countries -- China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand -- carried out a joint patrol along the Mekong River from Oct 25 to Oct 28 to increase efforts to deal with security problems in that area.

The team sailed 512 kilometers in 33 hours, checked eight boats of different countries and 240 tons of cargo, visited 29 river residents and sailors and handed out 21 police business cards.

This year is the fifth anniversary of an attack against two Chinese merchant ships in the Mekong area in which 13 deaths occurred, with one person still missing.

The October patrol served to safeguard shipping security and economic growth, according to the chief of the public security frontier forces of South China’s Yunnan province.

The cruise team not only patrolled fixed points but also randomly checked passing merchant ships to crack down on smuggling, terrorist activities, and drug and gun trafficking.

Law-enforcement officers also visited residents along the coast to learn about traffic and security conditions and how to improve them. In addition, China invited law-enforcement officers of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar to attend a conference in Jinghong of Yunnan province for joint analysis of criminal activity.

China National Radio said that through discussion over law-enforcement cooperation, the four countries have strengthened their ability to strike all kinds of cross-national crimes and have laid a solid foundation for safeguarding security and stability in the Mekong area.

Joint policing team patrols the Mekong area. [Photo by Wang Binghao/ China News Service]

A patrolman hands out police business cards to coastal residents. [Photo by Wang Binghao/ China News Service]

Joint cruising team sets out on their homebound voyage. [Photo by Wang Binghao/ China News Service]