An international union aimed at countering cross-border fraud in telecommunications and cyberspace was established on Thursday. Representatives from 46 founding countries, 34 observer countries, and four international organizations, including Interpol and the United Nations, participated in the inaugural conference held in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, in eastern China.
This intergovernmental body, initiated by the Chinese government, is designed to promote cooperation among law enforcement agencies in combating transnational fraud in telecommunications and cyberspace, as well as related crimes. Representatives from China and other founding member countries, such as Vietnam, Laos, Kenya, Cambodia, Pakistan, and Russia, addressed the conference, and an Interpol representative delivered a congratulatory message.
Participants welcomed China's initiative to establish the International Alliance against Telecommunications and Cyber Fraud, recognizing its significance for protecting global public security. In a joint statement, participants emphasized that telecommunications and cyberspace fraud has become a global problem requiring enhanced international cooperation.
According to the statement, the creation of a more focused, professional, effective, and action-oriented intergovernmental body, based on international conventions, will help coordinate efforts to counter these crimes and protect the safety, as well as the legitimate rights and interests of individuals, legal entities, and other structures.
The formation of the alliance comes amid growing global concern over cyber-enabled fraud. A report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime showed that in Southeast Asia alone, fraudulent schemes led to losses ranging from $18 billion to $37 billion in 2023, with many schemes linked to organized criminal groups operating across borders.
In recent years, China has strengthened law enforcement cooperation with more than 30 countries, including Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and Myanmar, to combat cross-border fraud in telecommunications and cyberspace, developing cooperation mechanisms and achieving results in joint operations against these crimes.
Since 2023, China and Myanmar have conducted joint operations that led to the dismantling of four major criminal groups in the Kokang region of Myanmar. Earlier this year, law enforcement agencies from China, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates conducted their first joint operation, resulting in the arrest of 276 suspects.
Cooperation with Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and other states has also allowed for the arrest and repatriation of over 20,000 suspects in telecommunications and online fraud this year.
The alliance also reflects China's commitment to putting the Global Security Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative into concrete action. These two initiatives, put forward in 2022 and 2025 respectively, underscore the importance of solving global problems through cooperation and improving global governance.