Authorities boost security measures

The Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region's long, porous border and lengthy coastline have resulted in the area becoming one of the major routes for extremists to cross into neighboring countries illegally.

"Guangxi has attached great importance to counter-terrorism and illegal cross-border entry. We have established multilevel, multi-channel cooperation on security with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, especially with Vietnam and Cambodia in recent years," said Peng Shunke, director of the International Cooperation Division of the Guangxi Public Security Department.

Since the start of last year, the Guangxi Border Office has helped neighboring countries to deal with 103 cases of transnational crime, and other ASEAN countries have reciprocated by assisting the region with 101 cases.

"People associated with cross-border terrorism are prone to violence and are also very cunning," Peng said. "We have instituted numerous measures to build an effective method of cooperation and strengthen border controls with neighboring countries, including areas such as counter-terrorism training and sharing our experiences with related countries, and also in the exchange of information about terrorists and arresting and repatriating people involved in terrorist activities."

He called on all countries involved to provide maximum cooperation and assistance to each other within the scope of the law when dealing with counter-terrorism and other cases of transnational crime. He also urged improvements in inquiry coordination and notification of clues and evidence related to terrorist activities.