China Wednesday promised to continue offering technical assistance to Laos in drug-control enforcement and in personnel training in developing alternatives to replace opium poppy cultivation.
This is meant to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in drug control, according to sources close to a meeting of Chinese and Lao narcotic control authorities.
The participants agreed that due to the deteriorating international narcotics situation, China and Laos are both facing a serious drug problem, and it is the common wish of both countries to strengthen cooperation in combating drug-related crimes.
They also stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation in information exchange, alternative development and reduction of the demand for drugs.
Chinese and Lao police at the border areas have vigorously carried out information exchange and joint crack-down campaigns in recent years, giving a heavy blow on drug-related crimes. Good results have also been attained in the work of alternative development conducted by technicians from China's Yunnan Province in northern Laos.
To promote alternative development outside China, the Chinese government has stated it will to exempt the import duties and related value-added taxes on agricultural and economic crops grown by Chinese enterprises in opium poppy plantation abroad.
Statistics show that by the end of last year, China had provided Laos and Myanmar with more than 100 tons of seeds of crops and over 200,000 saplings. Chinese experts and technicians had trained more than 500 technicians for the two countries.
(Xinhua News Agency May 22, 2002)
