Drug control officials from China and the United States are holding talks on strategies to stem the spread of narcotics while boosting exchanges of information. Dialogue will enable both sides to take effective measures in fighting transnational drug-related crimes.
Officials are attending the two-day China-US conference for interchanges on drug control strategy and information, which started yesterday. It is the first such conference between the two.
Drug-related issues, including narcotics trafficking, the control of medicaments needed for drug production and the drug situation in Southeast Asia, will be discussed at the conference.
Both sides hope the mechanism for drug control bodies of the two countries to exchange information can be improved.
They hope dialogue can help push forward all-round co-operation between the two countries in drug control.
Bai Jingfu, vice-director of National Narcotics Control Commission as well as vice-minister of Public Security, met with Barry Crane, vice-director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, and Steve Casteel, vice-director of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, prior to the conference.
The US delegation will pay a visit to Beijing and Southwest China's Yunnan Province once the meeting concludes.
The province borders the notorious "golden triangle," which is the nickname for the drug production area between Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.
Sino-US co-operation on drug control started in 1985 and the two countries signed a memorandum on bilateral drug control co-operation in 1987.
(China Daily October 30, 2002)
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