China has been in the habit of wielding its geopolitical influence in Asia to wrangle concessions from neighbors that it found it to benefit themselves. One such area is gambling, and specifically, online gambling, which has been tied to human trafficking directly affecting Chinese nationals.

China cautions neighbors to take tougher measures on illegal activity

China’s insistency on the matter has – after years of trying – prompted the Philippines to cave in and shutter the Philippine Offshore Gambling Operator sector tied to various alleged and proven crimes.

Now Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee has met with the representatives of ten ASEAN countries in Beijing and urged them to crackdown on internet gambling and telecommunication fraud, with the cases tied to operations across the Thai-Myanmar border.

Wang urged "the countries involved" to take the necessary measures to counteract what the regime in Beijing sees as an unlawful activity that has impacted Chinese nationals once again.

"We hope that the countries concerned will take up their responsibilities and adopt strong measures to combat Internet gambling and telecommunication fraud, safeguard the lives and properties of the people, and never allow criminals to go unpunished," Wang said in a statement to attendees cited by CCTV, the state media.

Instances of human trafficking tied to illegal gambling and telecommunications fraud have been well-documented and publicized in Chinese media, giving authorities in Beijing fresh impetus to pursue and exact tougher measures on neighbors that the regime blames.

In December, a prominent Chinese actor, Wang Xing, was scammed by a criminal organization and was forced to work in Thailand against his will. The case echoed across national and state media and saw Thailand organize a wide-scale rescue operation, which eventually liberated Wang.

Thailand and Myanmar need to step up to counteract crime

Similarly, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has acknowledged the need to counteract illegal gambling operators and crack down on such crimes. However, Myanmar is also to carry some of the blame, as at least five Hong Kong residents have been tricked or abducted to work against their will in the country.

Both countries have been named by China and urged to counteract these crimes, as they directly impact residents. Thailand is currently in the process of legalizing gambling and casino resorts, hoping to stem the tide of illegal operations.

China in the meantime remains ever so vigilant and has been casting an ever-wider net, going after sports betting, casinos, and other forms of illegal gambling.

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