Police training proposed to strengthen international cooperation

China will provide training to 3,000 law enforcement officials from various countries in the coming year as part of the country’s efforts to strengthen international cooperation to address global security challenges, a senior law enforcement official said.

State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong made the announcement at the 2024 Conference of the World Public Security Cooperation Forum, which opened in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, on Monday.

China will also send police consultants and working units to countries in need to help them improve their law enforcement capacity, conduct joint patrols and investigations, and combat cross-border crimes, Wang said.

He also pledged China’s continued financial support, capabilities and data to Interpol, as well as active participation of Chinese police officers in UN peacekeeping operations.

As the world faces growing insecurity and uncertainty, China hopes to work with all other countries to deepen exchanges and cooperation and promote a fairer, more reasonable and more effective global public security governance system, Wang also said.

The Global Public Security Cooperation Forum is the result of the evolution of a regional security forum initiated by the Ministry of Public Security in 2015.

The 2024 conference, the third of its kind, includes a series of events. In addition to Monday’s main session in Lianyungang, other sub-forums will be held in the city and two other cities, covering tourism security, police training, law enforcement capacity building and other topics.

These events attracted more than 2,100 people from 122 countries, regions and international organizations.

This year’s conference aims to strengthen international collaboration on public safety in a changing world, a theme echoed by international participants.

Ahmed Naser Al Raisi, President of Interpol, called for mobilizing collective strength to combat transnational crimes.

“Our capabilities and resources must come together to create a safer world. … No country can operate alone in today’s complex criminal landscape,” he said.

Al Raisi highlighted China’s contribution in this regard, saying the country “has played a key role in supporting Interpol’s mission.”

Al Raisi expressed gratitude for China’s support for Interpol’s Operation First Light 2024, a global police initiative targeting online fraud networks that has frozen more than 6,700 bank accounts and seized assets worth $257 million.

Participants also welcomed the China-proposed Global Security Initiative in 2022.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid said the move paved the way for enhanced cooperation among nations and a strengthened global security network.

Ivica Dacic, Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, said his country had actively promoted the principles of the initiative.

Serbia recently sent six police officers for a month-long joint patrol in Hainan and Zhejiang provinces. Unarmed, the Serbian police officers will assist their Chinese counterparts in meeting the security needs of Serbian nationals in China.

“In a tumultuous world, Serbia resolutely chooses to strengthen its cooperation with old friends like China,” Dacic said.

The forum produced many outcomes, said Andy Tsang Wai-hung, chairman of the forum, adding that among them is a report on the global public safety index, which will be further refined before being “released in due course.”

The report was developed to reflect the current global public security situation and anticipate associated risks and dangers, Tsang said.

Wang, the public security minister, said China would support the forum in regularly publishing the index.

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