China Deepens Law Enforcement Cooperation with Laos and Uzbekistan

Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong met separately in Beijing with Lao Minister of Public Security Vilay Lakhamfong and Uzbek Minister of Internal Affairs Aziz Tashpulatov on September 6. Discussions with the Lao delegation focused on dismantling cross-border telecommunications fraud and online gambling syndicates, drug control, border security, and safeguarding the China-Laos Railway, concluding with the signing of bilateral cooperation documents. In talks with Uzbekistan, Wang emphasized combating the 'three evil forces' of terrorism, separatism, and extremism, securing Belt and Road infrastructure, and advancing the China-Central Asia security cooperation mechanism.

The bilateral discussions illustrate Beijing's strategy of pairing peripheral diplomacy with law enforcement integration. By securing commitments from Southeast and Central Asian neighbors, China aims to protect outward infrastructure investments while aggressively curbing transnational crimes—especially telecom fraud and illicit narcotics—that directly affect domestic public security and cross-border commercial corridors.

Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong held separate bilateral meetings in Beijing on September 6 with Lao Minister of Public Security Vilay Lakhamfong and Uzbek Minister of Internal Affairs Aziz Tashpulatov, state media reported, focusing on expanding transnational police cooperation and securing critical regional infrastructure. During his meeting with the Lao delegation, Wang, who also serves as a member of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, stressed the importance of implementing high-level consensus reached by the leaders of both nations. Wang emphasized the need to deepen bilateral coordination across several operational fronts, including cracking down on cross-border telecommunications fraud and cyber gambling, executing anti-narcotics campaigns, tracking down fugitives, recovering illicit assets, and maintaining border stability. Wang specifically called for intensified security cooperation along the China-Laos Railway, a flagship Belt and Road infrastructure project that connects Yunnan province with Vientiane. According to official dispatches, the Lao public security minister expressed appreciation for China's sustained assistance and affirmed Vientiane's commitment to deepening law enforcement collaboration. The meeting concluded with both sides signing bilateral cooperation documents, though specific operational texts were not immediately made public. In a subsequent session with Uzbek Interior Minister Tashpulatov, Wang highlighted the strategic guidance provided by the two countries' heads of state and called for advancing China's global diplomatic initiatives through concrete security measures. The agenda centered on countering the "three evil forces"—terrorism, separatism, and extremism—as well as securing high-quality Belt and Road infrastructure projects, exchanging policing experience, and conducting joint capacity building. Wang also urged both sides to leverage the China-Central Asia Public Security and Interior Ministers' Meeting mechanism to achieve tangible operational results and preserve regional stability. Tashpulatov expressed Uzbekistan's readiness to expand law enforcement exchanges at all administrative levels to enrich the bilateral partnership. The high-level talks reflect Beijing's ongoing efforts to institutionalize regional law enforcement partnerships across both mainland Southeast Asia and Central Asia, addressing cross-border crime vectors that pose security concerns for domestic citizens and strategic infrastructure investments alike.