Security officials and experts gathered at a Beijing counterterrorism forum which concluded on Thursday to discuss the use of new technology and new skills to protect borders and maritime shipping against terrorist threats.
More than 320 representatives from 62 countries and international organizations attended the three-day Great Wall-2026 International Forum on Counter-Terrorism, hosted by the Chinese People's Armed Police Force.
Military, border security and police personnel joined customs officials and researchers to discuss responses to threats in different settings.
Mohamad Daher, military attache at the Lebanese Embassy in China, described an approach to land border security that combines surveillance equipment with document checks, intelligence sharing and regular training. He stressed that technology depends on people who know how to use it.
"Because you need a person who can use this type of technology, and it's very important because it helps us to be very effective to understand where they are, how they move. If you look through the infrared cameras, you can see all the night from where they come. So for that, technology is very important. Drones are very important. High tech -- sharing the information between institutions by technology helps readiness and be ready to fight this terrorist group,” Daher said.
Delegates examined the challenge of monitoring shipping routes and widely dispersed sites, including ports and offshore platforms, to protect against piracy and terrorist threats.
Vijay D Chafekar, executive director of the ReCAAP Information Sharing Center, drew on the organization's experience of helping countries cooperate to protect shipping in Asia.
"A model of trust where states with diverse interests come together for cooperation and working together to situate the maritime trade security and the non-state actors who threaten that trade are dealt with. So I find that this has become a model for regional cooperation which can be replicated in other parts of the world where the concerns of piracy are still existent," Chafekar said.
Beijing counterterrorism forum highlights border surveillance, maritime cooperation
