BEIJING -- China plans to enhance its monitoring network for drugs and promote international cooperation to stamp out drug trafficking with the country's first bill on drug control.

The bill introduced in the legislature on Tuesday sets strict rules on on the clinical use of pharmaceuticals and other chemicals and medicines that could be used to make illegal narcotics.

Regular checks will be required during the production, sale and use of sensitive clinical medicines. The bill stipulates that farms that grow medicines and warehouses that store them will be under state guard.

The bill requires the owners and managers of discos, bars, and night clubs, to post anti-drug signs in prominent places inside the venues and to report drug takers to the police.

It will also authorize police to search people and their luggage for illegal drugs at key public places such as train stations, long-distance bus stations and border crossings.

"It is important to introduce such a law as China is now facing a grave situation in drug control," Zhang Xinfeng, Vice Minister of Public Security, said in a brief to lawmakers of the Standing Committee of National People's Congress.

China was experiencing an increase in drug trafficking from the Golden Triangle, an area located in countries along the Mekong Rive delta including Myanmar and Laos, and the Golden Crescent area in western Asia.

Five of China's six provincial areas troubled most by drug-related problems were in western China and were adjacent to the two notorious narcotics producing regions.

Almost all of the heroin traded illegally across the world came from the two regions, Zhang said.

The bill was drawn up partly in response to the increasingly rampant invasion of narcotics from outside China. Police estimated that China had more than 700,000 heroin addicts.

"It's impossible to fight the drug problems without international cooperation," Zhang said, noting the bill stipulated that Chinese police should share information with other countries and international organizations and enhance collaboration in investigations.

Chinese authorities would be required by the law to support and assist in other countries' opium replacement crop planting.

In fact, China has launched opium replacement planting scheme with Myanmar and Laos and other neighboring countries. Rubber, tea and other crops were grown as substitutes.

Earlier this year, China and Myanmar confirmed after investigation that Wa State of Myanmar has already realized its goal of banning poppy production.