The China Coast Guard South China Sea Branch launched a joint law enforcement operation with relevant departments on Tuesday at the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) to ensure its stable and orderly island-wide special customs operations, which is set to launch on Thursday.
The launching ceremony for the joint law enforcement operation was held in Haikou City on Tuesday.
The three-day operation is now taking place on the surrounding waters of Hainan Island.
During the operation, departments including the coast guard, public security and customs anti-smuggling will carry out targeted patrols and law enforcement activities on ports, docks, and vessels at sea. They will also carry out anti-smuggling publicity to boost maritime security.
"Through practical law enforcement actions, the joint operation aims to improve and perfect the joint prevention and control mechanism among all levels of coast guard institutions and relevant marine-related departments, comprehensively enhance the capabilities for preventing and combating maritime smuggling, responding to and handling maritime emergencies, and supervising and regulating marine production and operations," said Cheng Naiqin, an official of the Law Enforcement Department under China Coast Guard South China Sea Branch.
"We shall not only serve and guarantee the free flow of all kinds of factors to fully release the policy dividends of the FTP, but also crack down on all kinds of illegal acts in accordance with the law and effectively maintain a good maritime public security order," said Cheng.
China Coast Guard launches law enforcement operation for Hainan FTP's special customs operations
Thai and Cambodian leaders must find a way to resolve their differences through talks and not on the battlefield, according to a former Thai foreign minister, who also believes China could be in a unique position to serve as a mediator given its strong ties with both sides.
Border clashes between the two sides have reignited since Dec 7 -- less than two months after the two sides signed a joint peace declaration -- with both trading the blame for instigating the attacks.
The latest round of fighting has left at least 19 Thai soldiers and 19 Thai civilians dead, with over 270,000 people displaced, Thailand's defense ministry announced on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, on the same day, the Cambodian Defense Ministry said that 17 civilians have been killed and 77 injured as the Thai military forces have continued airstrikes and artillery shelling into Cambodian territory, with over 438,000 individuals fleeing their homes.
With the two sides continuing to point the finger of blame and trade accusations of attacks on civilians, peace talks appear to be a long way off.
Kasit Piromya, who formerly served as Thailand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, urged the two countries' leaders to put people first, set aside their pride and find a resolution.
"The people must be the priority, not the victory or losses or the battlefield. It's detrimental and destructive to all. It is easy to arouse the passion, but [the sign of] great leaders, great statesmen is to be able to overcome the nationalistic sentiment and come back to the sense and sensibility and to start to talk with one another," he said.
China has called for utmost restraint and every possible measure conducive to a ceasefire to ensure de-escalation of tensions as soon as possible, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman told a daily press briefing on Monday.
China supports direct dialogue and consultation between the two countries, as well as the efforts of ASEAN -- and Malaysia, in particular -- to promote peace talks, and the pursuit of a mutually acceptable solution within the ASEAN framework, according to the spokesman.
Piromya said he believes China could play a constructive role in a peace process between the two sides.
"China has been having, I think, more or less an excellent bilateral relationship respectively with Thailand and Cambodia. So China is in a very unique and great position to bring the two sides, Cambodia and Thailand, together," Piromya said.
Former official urges Thailand, Cambodia to make people priority, end border clashes
