IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Yunnan

4 nations launch Mekong River patrol

The 80th Mekong River joint patrol by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand started on Tuesday at Jinghong Port in Yunnan province. Five vessels are participating in the four-day patrol, which will involve inspections, a crackdown on drug crimes and an anti-drug publicity campaign, according to the provincial public security department. The mission will cover key waters including the so-called Golden Triangle, an area notorious for drug production. The joint patrols started in December 2011 after a gang hijacked two cargo ships and killed 13 Chinese sailors in Thai waters.