The BRICS group wrapped up its two-day leaders’ summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. The summit’s final communique is a 16,000-word doorstop that covers numerous issues from economics to education.
The communique avoids any direct mention of the United States, and references to “unilateralism” and other coded criticism are also relatively scarce. Rather, the communique keeps the focus on the BRICS’ vision of the strengthening and reform of the global multilateral system ...
Category: Trafficking
Suspect in Trafficking Scam Arrested
A suspect accused of involvement in numerous scam-related trafficking cases, including kidnapping the Chinese actor Wang Xing and trafficking him to Myanmar, was arrested and deported to China. The suspect, a Chinese national identified as Yan Wenlei, was reportedly nabbed through a joint effort by the Thai ...
China, Thailand, and Myanmar Join Forces to Crack Down on Online Scam Centers
Officials from China, Myanmar, and Thailand met in Kunming, China, on Tuesday agreed to join forces and conduct a joint operation to crack down online scams, online gambling, and growing number of telecommunication fraud centers operating out of Myanmar. According to China’s national broadcaster, CCTV, the ...
Thailand and Myanmar Agree to Step Up Fight Against Online Scams, Fraud, and Trafficking
The recent high-profile kidnapping of a Chinese actor in Thailand has raised safety concerns, diminishing the country's appeal among tourists ahead of China’s biggest holiday. Amid these concerns, Myanmar has stepped up, pledging to work with Thailand to tackle transnational ...
China Calls on Southeast Asia to Crack Down on Online Gambling, Scam, and Telecom Fraud
In a pointed appeal to Southeast Asian nations, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged governments in the region on Thursday to intensify their efforts against online gambling and telecom fraud, issues he said are harming citizens across borders. Wang’s remarks ...
Online Scam and Trafficking Lead to Mass Cancellations from Chinese Tour Groups to Thailand
As the Chinese New Year approaches, what should have been a bustling season for Thai hotels and airlines is taking a sharp turn. Tour groups from China are canceling their bookings en masse, and independent travelers are hesitating to finalize plans. The reason? Safety concerns from ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Vietnam Sentences Trafficking Ringleaders That Sold Brides in China
A court in Vietnam sentenced six women to up to 30 years in jail for running a trafficking ring that sold women and girls to China as wives — a problem that has plagued Southeast Asia for years. China’s gender imbalance ...
Further Crackdowns on Cross-Border Gambling and Scams in Myanmar
More than 1,200 Chinese nationals allegedly involved in illegal cross-border gambling operations were detained by Myanmar militias and handed over to Chinese authorities on Saturday, the Associated Press reported. In June, China launched an anti-fraud campaign that has so ...
China, Thailand Agree to Fight Call-Center Gangs
Senior Chinese and Thai security officials met in Bangkok on Tuesday to discuss closer cooperation to combat so-called "call center gangs" that have ensnared thousands of Chinese nationals into forced labor across Southeast Asia. China's Public Security Vice Minister Xu Ganlu ...
Ministry of Commerce Blasts U.S. For Sanctions Against Chinese Companies Allegedly Involved in the Mexican Fentanyl Trade
China's powerful Ministry of Commerce denounced the United States for sanctioning 17 Chinese and Mexican companies and individuals last week for their alleged involvement in the fentanyl trade. The Ministry said on Tuesday the U.S. "disregarded facts " and accused Washington ...
Shock and Dismay in South Africa After Discovery of “Slave-Like” Conditions in Chinese-owned Factory
South Africa's Home Affairs Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, was visibly shaken when describing the "inhumane and unspeakable conditions" in a plastics factory owned by a Chinese national that was raided by security forces on Monday. An informant tipped off immigration authorities that dozens of illegal workers were ...
China Announces Sweeping Ban of Eating and Trading Wildlife
China's top legislative body, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), announced a sweeping ban on the trade and consumption of wild animals as part of the effort to stem the deadly COVID-19 outbreak that has crippled the country. ...
Pangolins and Other African Wildlife Could be Among the Only Beneficiaries of This Crisis
The outbreak of coronavirus is being traced back to one of Wuhan's many live animal markets that sell a variety of wildlife including snakes, turtles, and cicadas, guinea pigs, bamboo rats, badgers, hedgehogs, otters, palm civets, even wolf cubs. Now that this ...