China to establish international alliance to combat telecom and online fraud

China will launch an international alliance against telecom and online fraud during the 2026 conference of the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum in September, with more than 40 countries already expressing their intention to participate, a senior police official said.

Jiang Guoli, director of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, made the announcement at a State Council Information Office news conference on Friday.

Initiated by the Chinese government, the alliance will be an intergovernmental organization involving law enforcement agencies from participating countries. It is intended to provide professional expertise and coordinate operations against transnational fraud, Jiang said.

The alliance will follow the principles of consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits. It will seek to build consensus, promote intelligence sharing, and strengthen joint operations and coordinated controls against fraud groups operating across borders.

China welcomes other countries to join the alliance and work together to address telecommunications and online fraud as a global challenge, Jiang said. The initiative has received positive responses from the international community, with more than 40 countries indicating their willingness to help establish the organization.

Combating telecom and online fraud has also been included as a priority in China's public security development plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30). As most large fraud compounds targeting Chinese citizens are now based overseas, police have intensified research into the organizational structures, financial backers, key members, and operating models of such criminal groups.

Jiang said China will use existing law enforcement mechanisms and the planned alliance to deepen international cooperation and strengthen the investigation and governance of such crimes.

In recent years, China has conducted international law enforcement operations against transnational fraud with more than 30 countries, including Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and Myanmar.

According to Jiang, since 2023, closer police cooperation between China and Myanmar has led to extensive operations against large fraud compounds near the northern Myanmar border. More than 59,000 fraud suspects have been apprehended and handed over to China. The operations dismantled four notorious criminal groups in the Kokang region of northern Myanmar.

In early 2025, China, Myanmar, and Thailand established a ministerial-level coordination mechanism to jointly combat telecom and online fraud. The three countries subsequently launched concentrated operations against fraud crimes in the Myawaddy area. Ten joint repatriation operations have been carried out, while more than 630 buildings in the KK Park fraud compound in Myawaddy have been demolished.

Since the beginning of this year, Chinese, US, and UAE police have conducted their first joint law enforcement operation against telecom and online fraud. The operation dismantled nine fraud dens and resulted in the arrest of 276 suspects.

China has also strengthened law enforcement cooperation with Cambodia, carrying out operations against fraud compounds and arresting several alleged leaders and key members of major criminal groups.

Cooperation with Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka has led to the arrest and repatriation of more than 20,000 fraud suspects, Jiang said.

The planned alliance will seek to build on these operations by improving communication between law enforcement agencies, expanding intelligence exchanges, and increasing the effectiveness of joint investigations and enforcement actions, he added.