Intl alliance to tackle online, telecom fraud

More than 40 countries are expected to participate in a China-initiated international alliance against telecom and online fraud, which is scheduled to be formally inaugurated in September, the Ministry of Public Security said on Friday.

The alliance's founding conference will be held during the 2026 meeting of the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum, Jiang Guoli, head of the ministry's criminal investigation bureau, told a State Council Information Office news conference.

Designed as an intergovernmental platform for law enforcement agencies, the alliance will coordinate action against cross-border scam networks and promote intelligence sharing, joint investigations and coordinated law enforcement. It will operate on the principles of consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.

Jiang said telecom and online fraud has become a global public security threat and a major challenge to social governance. The ministry has therefore listed combating such crimes as a priority in its development plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30).

Given that most major scam compounds are based overseas, Chinese police are studying the command structures, financial backers, key members and operating methods of fraud syndicates. Existing bilateral and multilateral law enforcement mechanisms will complement the new alliance, he said.

China has conducted cross-border anti-fraud operations with more than 30 countries in recent years. Cooperation with Myanmar since 2023 has led to the apprehension and handover to China of more than 59,000 fraud suspects, as well as the dismantling of four notorious family-based criminal groups in Kokang, northern Myanmar.

A ministerial-level coordination mechanism established by China, Myanmar and Thailand in early 2025 has organized 10 joint repatriation operations targeting fraud activities in Myawaddy. More than 630 buildings at a local scam compound have been demolished.

This year, police from China, the United States and the United Arab Emirates carried out their first joint law enforcement operation, shutting down nine scam compounds and arresting 276 suspects. Cooperation with Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka has also resulted in the arrest and repatriation of more than 20,000 fraud suspects.

Within China, telecom and online fraud cases filed by police fell 15.6 percent year-on-year in the first half of the year. Monthly case numbers have declined year-on-year for nine consecutive months since October 2025, while police conducted face-to-face anti-fraud interventions for 2.93 million people considered vulnerable to scams.

Qi Yanjun, executive vice-minister of public security, said the progress was part of broader improvements in public security.

Criminal cases fell 16.5 percent year-on-year in the first half, while public security cases declined 11.3 percent.

Traditional theft, robbery and fraud cases dropped 38.9 percent to 307,000. Homicides fell to a record low, and major road traffic accidents decreased 8.8 percent. Police also solved 48,000 economic and financial crime cases, recovering 12.15 billion yuan ($1.8 billion) in losses.

Authorities also investigated 18,900 intellectual property infringement and counterfeiting cases, leading to the arrest of 33,800 suspects.

The declines reflected stronger grassroots policing and a more effective nationwide crime prevention and control system, which has helped reduce preventable crimes and curb recurring public security problems, Qi said.

"The sense of security experienced in China has also become a popular topic on overseas social media platforms," he added.

Qi said police will introduce targeted measures covering public security management, cybersecurity and road traffic, while exploring effective security management and service models for emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, the low-altitude economy and intelligent connected vehicles.

Intellectual property protection will be strengthened through tougher enforcement against infringement, counterfeiting and trade secret theft. Efforts will also be intensified to combat environmental and natural resources crimes.

In addition, the ministry plans to explore a unified national population management system and improve access to basic public services based on permanent residence. Regional police cooperation will be expanded to jointly manage security risks, improve mutual recognition of public services, and strengthen coordination in regulation and law enforcement.

Institutional opening-up in immigration management will continue, including further optimization of visa-free transit and regional visa-free entry policies, Qi said. China will also expand the digitalization of travel documents, border area permits and related services, broaden the use of expedited and automated border clearance, extend fully online immigration services, and optimize visa, stay and residence policies as well as digital entry services for foreign nationals.

yangzekun@chinadaily.com.cn