In recent years, telecommunications network fraud (hereinafter referred to as “telecom fraud”) has become a global problem, seriously threatening social security and economic development. As geographically adjacent and economically interconnected partners, China and ASEAN countries have reached a series of important cooperation in the field of combating telecom fraud in the face of the cross-border spread of telecom fraud.
Public opinion generally believes that the cooperation between China and ASEAN to combat telecom fraud is not only a practical need to deal with telecom fraud, but also an important measure to promote regional security governance. Through cooperation, the two sides will jointly build a safer, more stable and prosperous cyberspace, providing strong guarantees for regional economic development and social stability.
Rampant crime makes cooperation imperative
At the beginning of this year, the case of Chinese citizens missing at the Thai-Myanmar border attracted attention. In fact, the rampant telecom fraud is no longer a local problem in a certain country or region, but a global security threat. In recent years, with the rapid development of Internet technology, telecom fraud methods have been continuously upgraded, from traditional telephone fraud to today’s phishing, fake investment platforms, impersonation of public security, procuratorial and judicial organs, etc., fraud forms are emerging in endlessly. What is more worrying is that telecom fraud crimes have formed a complete cross-border industrial chain, with clear division of labor in each link from information collection, technical support to fund transfer, and high concealment.
China and ASEAN countries have become the hardest hit areas for telecom fraud crimes due to their geographical proximity and frequent personnel exchanges. According to statistics, in 2024, more than 30% of telecom fraud cases reported to Chinese public security organs involved ASEAN countries; and ASEAN countries have also reported many times that a large number of fraud gangs targeted China and even set up servers and dens in China. This “you have me, I have you” criminal pattern makes unilateral crackdowns difficult to work.
Take the Philippines as an example. In recent years, the country has become a “safe haven” for telecom fraud gangs. Some fraudsters took advantage of the Philippines’ loose network regulatory environment to set up call centers specifically targeting Chinese citizens for fraud. The border areas of Myanmar, Cambodia and other countries have also become a “hotbed” for telecom fraud gangs due to weak governance. These criminal activities not only damage the economic interests of the victims, but also seriously undermine regional social stability.
Faced with such a severe situation, China and ASEAN countries realize that only by working together can the spread of telecom fraud crimes be effectively curbed. As the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Public Security of China said: “Telecom fraud crimes have no borders, and the fight against telecom fraud must also transcend borders.”
Reach a consensus to eradicate stubborn diseases
As a stubborn disease, the existence of telecom fraud has caused a very bad impact. Therefore, combating telecom fraud crimes has become a key topic of bilateral and even multilateral cross-border cooperation between China and ASEAN countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia.
“Telecom network fraud and online gambling crimes have developed into a complex industrial chain involving upstream and downstream crimes such as money laundering, illegal drug trafficking, human smuggling, corruption, and human trafficking, forming a vicious cycle with huge harm. These criminal activities not only seriously infringe on the property rights and interests of the victims, but also undermine social order and damage the international image of the region.” Thailand’s “Bangkok Post” reported.
In 2024, China and ASEAN took a key step in combating telecom fraud. At the China-ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting held in October, the two sides formally signed the “Joint Statement on Strengthening the Fight against Telecom Network Fraud and Online Gambling”, marking the move of this cooperation towards multilateral collaboration.
As early as 2023, China has carried out bilateral cooperation with some ASEAN countries. For example, it has jointly carried out multiple cross-border arrest operations with Myanmar, Laos and other countries, and destroyed multiple fraud dens. Due to the lack of a unified coordination mechanism, these actions are often limited in effect. After being cracked down, some fraud gangs quickly moved to other countries and continued to commit crimes.
To this end, China and ASEAN countries launched multiple rounds of consultations and finally reached a comprehensive cooperation framework. According to the cooperation framework, China and ASEAN countries have cooperated in intelligence sharing, joint law enforcement, technical cooperation, legal coordination and other aspects to jointly combat fraud crimes.
The achievement of this consensus has been widely praised by the international community. ASEAN Secretary-General Lee Hsien Loong said that the cooperation between China and ASEAN not only helps to combat fraud crimes, but also provides a model for the global response to cross-border crimes.
It is particularly worth noting that on January 19, Malaysia held the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Informal Meeting, its first important meeting as the rotating chair of ASEAN in 2025. It is worth noting that combating transnational crimes such as cyber fraud is also one of the focuses of this meeting. According to Malaysia’s The Star, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohammed said that he would “work closely with China” to combat cybercrime and fraud.
Implementing cooperative actions is the key
On January 21 this year, the Lancang-Mekong Law Enforcement Cooperation Center held a summary meeting on the “Seagull” joint operation in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. The Cambodian Ministry of Interior, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, the Lao Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Defense, the Myanmar Ministry of Interior, the Royal Thai Police, and the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security sent delegations to attend the meeting. International organizations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the ASEAN Police Organization were also invited to attend the meeting.
From August to December 2024, in order to implement the spirit of the Fourth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting and the Five-Year Action Plan for Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (2023-2027), the Center organized and implemented the “Seagull” joint law enforcement operation, coordinating the law enforcement departments of Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam to jointly combat regional telecommunications network fraud crimes and their derivative crimes and firearms and ammunition smuggling crimes, and achieved practical work results. According to preliminary statistics, during the operation, the parties cracked more than 160 cases of various types, mainly telecommunications fraud cases, arrested more than 70,000 criminal suspects, and rescued more than 160 victims.
“This year, the Center will launch the second phase of the “Seagull” joint operation in due course, continue to focus on combating telecommunications network fraud crimes and their derivative crimes, especially to rescue the missing and trapped people in various countries, and effectively safeguard the safety of life and property of the people of the region and regional security and stability.” The relevant person in charge of the center said.
Regarding the cooperation between China and ASEAN to jointly combat telecommunications fraud crimes, many experts said that this is an important measure to deal with transnational telecommunications fraud crimes, which has important practical significance and strategic value.
The person in charge of cybersecurity research at China University of Political Science and Law pointed out that telecom fraud crimes are transnational, hidden and complex, and it is difficult for a single country to deal with them. The cooperation between China and ASEAN not only helps to improve the level of regional cybersecurity, but also provides a new model for global cybersecurity governance.
Chen Hua, a professor at the Faculty of Law of the National University of Singapore, believes that ASEAN countries face many challenges in the field of cybersecurity, especially in combating telecom fraud crimes. Through cooperation with China, ASEAN countries can learn from China’s advanced experience and enhance their own cybersecurity capabilities.
John Smith, head of Interpol’s Asia-Pacific region, stressed: “Telecom fraud crimes are a global problem that requires joint efforts from all countries. The cooperation between China and ASEAN is a model that demonstrates the important role of international cooperation in combating transnational crime.”