Chinese leaders have vowed to work with Thailand and its other neighbours to eliminate the scourge of online gambling and telecom fraud, according to the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Spokesperson Lin Jian said online fraud was one of the topics discussed during the meetings that visiting Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra had with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee Zhao Leji on Thursday.
“Resolutely combating online gambling fraud is a concrete manifestation of the people-centered approach and an inevitable choice for safeguarding the common interests of regional countries, aligning with the shared expectations of people from all nations,” Lin added.
The Global Times of China quoted Lin as saying that China is actively engaging in bilateral and multilateral cooperation with neighboring countries such as Thailand and Myanmar, implementing comprehensive measures to address both the symptoms and root causes of the problem.
“They will jointly eliminate the scourge of online gambling and telecom fraud, safeguarding the safety of people's lives and property as well as the order of exchanges and cooperation among regional countries,” Lin said.
As Paetongtarn was visiting Beijing, 61 people lured by call-center scammers to work in Myanmar were rescued and sent back to Thailand on Thursday. The group, rescued from the Shwe Kokko complex in Myawaddy, included 39 Chinese nationals.
In an interview with the Chinese media on Thursday, Paetongtarn gave an assurance of safety for Chinese tourists visiting Thailand.
"The prime minister of Thailand has the Chinese blood in her. I guarantee that it's gonna be very safe for Chinese people as well," said Paetongtarn.
Paetongtarn said that Thai people always feel at home when visiting China and hoped that Chinese people will also feel at home when visiting Thailand.
