A senior United Nations anti-drug official said China can play a key role regionally and globally in fighting narcotics and crime.

Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, said China has made "considerable success" in its efforts to crack down on narcotics and drug-related crimes.

Costa visited China on Monday and Tuesday to hold talks with State Councilor Luo Gan and officials from the Ministry of Public Security and the State Drug Administration, and to seek further cooperation with China.

During the meeting with Costa on Tuesday, Luo said China will continue to support the United Nations' efforts to fight drug-related crimes worldwide, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The long-standing problems of drugs and transnational organized crime have posed significant threats to regional and global peace and stability, Luo said.

He added that international cooperation must be strengthened to tackle the sharply increasing organized and transnational crime in the wake of rapid economic globalization and frequent international exchanges.

The visit was Costa's first mission to China since he was appointed executive director of the office in May.

"The time has come for us to consider doing more work together," Costa told China Daily on Tuesday.

Despite the achievements that have been made, there is still a lot to be done for China, he said. Although China does not produce narcotics, it is close to countries that either grow drug crops or manufacture synthetic narcotics. Such products are likely to be smuggled into China.

He said the United Nations will cooperate further with China to enforce laws against drugs and crimes. And prevention should be given priority in Sino-UN cooperation.

Costa stressed that there should be international cooperation because narcotics are traded internationally.

"Measures taken in one country (to fight drugs) need to be supplemented by similar measures in other neighboring countries," he added.

In countries such as Myanmar, where the production of opium is rampant, efforts should be made to help farmers find an alternative livelihood, he said. This is another important area of Sino-UN cooperation, he noted.

Costa said the question of large-scale opium cultivation in Myanmar can be resolved more easily as China, Thailand and the United Nations make joint efforts to help Myanmar farmers.

(China Daily December 5, 2002)