Australia and China will continue to work together to fight the scourge of illicit drugs, Australia’s justice minister said on Tuesday, after both nations agreed to extend a joint agency cooperation program until January 2018.

Announcing the extension of the Taskforce Blaze partnership between the Australian Federal Police (APF) and the Chinese National Narcotics Control Commission, Australian Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the taskforce had been responsible for the seizure of tons of illicit drugs worth billions of dollars.

« Taskforce Blaze is the first joint agency taskforce of its kind in the world, and Australia remains the only country to have such crime fighting cooperation with China, » Keenan said.

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China is “a core force” in fight against drugs

« Drugs are the common enemy of mankind. Cracking down on drugs crimes is the common responsibility of all countries in the world. The Chinese government has consistently and resolutely cracked down on drugs crime and is a core force in the international community’s fight against drugs. China understands and supports the Philippines’ policy under the leadership of President Duterte to fight against drugs, and is willing to proactively cooperate against drugs with the Philippines. (In October), while President Duterte was in China, both sides signed a protocol on cooperation between the anti-narcotics division of the Ministry of Public Security and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. The responsible departments of both countries have already had effective cooperation on joint use of technical equipment, joint drug enforcement, drug rehabilitation and other areas. China is willing to keep providing whatever support and help it can to the Philippines. »

Chinese Foreign Ministry

http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/philippines-drugs-china/

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