Joint patrol targets crime on the Mekong

China-ASEAN defense dialogue to discuss steps to strengthen ties

BEIJING - As defense officials and scholars gathered in Beijing on Monday for a three-day China-ASEAN security dialogue, about 1,000 kilometers away on the Thai section of the Mekong River, five joint patrol vessels were escorting 10 cargo ships, aiming to turn the troubled waters into a safe route.

China, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar began their coordinated patrol on the Mekong River on Saturday following the killing of 13 crewmembers of a Chinese vessel on the Thai section of the river in October.