China plans to train 3000 international police officers, including Pakistanis

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with a high-level Chinese delegation led by Political and Legal Affairs Minister Chen Mingguo to discuss increasing cooperation in counterterrorism, cross-border cooperation, and combating smuggling and drug trafficking.

Both sides explored the possibility of conducting joint police and paramilitary exercises in Gilgit-Baltistan or Xinjiang and agreed to train police officers from Gilgit-Baltistan at the Xinjiang Police Academy.

Chen Mingguo highlighted Xinjiang’s long history of counter-terrorism efforts and suggested that Pakistan could learn from its experience. He also invited Interior Minister Naqvi to visit Xinjiang. Both parties agreed on a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism.

Naqvi emphasized Pakistan’s 600-km long border with Xinjiang and the importance of strengthening ties with the region, especially since the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes through Xinjiang.

The Chinese delegation included the Deputy Secretary of the Xinjiang Parliamentary and Legal Affairs Committee, the Executive Director General of the Police and the Vice President of the Xinjiang Police Academy. On behalf of Pakistan, Interior Secretary Khurram Ali Agha, Special Interior Secretary Waqas Ali Mehmood and Additional Interior Secretary Nazar Muhammad Buzdar were also present.

At a related event, China’s Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong announced that China had trained 2,700 officers last year and plans to train 3,000 more from various countries in the next 12 months. He added that Chinese police consultants will be sent to countries where help is needed to enhance their law enforcement capabilities.

The announcement was made during a security conference in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, attended by law enforcement representatives from 122 countries and organizations, including Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Interpol.