China plans to establish an international law enforcement alliance against telecommunications and online fraud in September, with more than 40 countries indicating that they are interested in participating.
The Ministry of Public Security announced the initiative during a July 24 news conference. Authorities plan to hold the founding ceremony at the 2026 Conference of the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province.
Jiang Guoli, director of the ministry’s Criminal Investigation Bureau, said the alliance would operate as an “intergovernmental organization with broad participation from law enforcement agencies worldwide.”
The proposed organization will support intelligence exchanges and coordinated enforcement activity against criminal groups operating across national borders. Chinese officials have identified telecommunications and online fraud as a public security priority under the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan, which covers 2026 through 2030.
Jiang said the “vast majority of fraud operations are currently based outside China.”
Officials have not identified the countries considering membership or disclosed how the alliance will manage participation and decision-making.
Cross-Border Operations Target Overseas Fraud Networks
China has expanded cooperation with governments across Asia and other regions as fraud compounds move their operations beyond the country’s borders.
Since 2023, cooperation between China and Myanmar has led authorities to apprehend and transfer more than 59,000 suspected fraud participants to China. Investigators also dismantled four criminal organizations operating in the Kokang region of northern Myanmar.
China established a ministerial-level coordination mechanism with Myanmar and Thailand in early 2025. The countries have since conducted 10 joint repatriation operations.
Enforcement teams have also demolished more than 630 buildings associated with the KK Park fraud compound in Myawaddy, Myanmar.
Chinese, US and United Arab Emirates police carried out their first joint operation against telecommunications and online fraud in 2026. That operation dismantled nine suspected fraud sites and resulted in 276 arrests.
Separate cooperation with Cambodia and Laos has also produced arrests and repatriations. Operations conducted with Thailand, Vietnam and other Asian countries have led to more than 20,000 suspected fraud participants being detained and returned.
A recent United Nations assessment linked the regional scam economy with organized criminal groups operating through compounds in border areas and special economic zones.
The report stated that “Chinese-origin transnational criminal organizations constitute the major organizational force behind the region’s cyber-enabled scam economy, operating industrial-scale compound infrastructure across border zones and SEZs (Special Economic Zones) in Myanmar, Cambodia and Lao PDR.”
Chinese nationals remain frequent targets of overseas scam operations and illegal online gambling businesses, creating pressure for authorities to strengthen cooperation with countries where large compounds operate.
Cambodia Expands Raids and International Cooperation
Cambodia has become a major focus of regional enforcement because authorities have identified fraud activity at licensed casinos and other commercial properties.
Prime Minister Hun Manet said his government would continue acting against criminal groups operating in the country.
“We are committed to continue to crack down on this,” he said. “We will make Cambodia an area that’s not easy or worth staying in for online scams.”
He separately said, “We remain committed to cracking down on online scams, and we have already seen results.”
Cambodia plans to host an international conference on online scams involving representatives from China and the United States. FBI Director Kash Patel has agreed to send a delegation to the event.
“This is the cooperation to tackle common issues that go well beyond geopolitics,” he said. “This is for the interest of all countries.”
Hun Manet also described transnational fraud as a shared challenge, stating: “These are common challenges that go well beyond geopolitics.”
Cambodia enacted its Law on Combating Online Scams in April and has expanded raids across several provinces.
Authorities have closed 737 scam centres nationwide. Audits covering the country’s 195 licensed casinos found 72 facilities operating fraud centres, resulting in licence revocations and asset freezes.
The enforcement campaign produced 268 case files and led municipal and provincial courts to prosecute 2,773 suspects.
Authorities arrested and extradited Prince Group founder Chen Zhi in January. He had previously faced international sanctions.
Residency inspections have also led Cambodia to deport more than 30,000 foreign nationals. Stricter enforcement of real estate reporting requirements prompted another 210,000 foreign nationals to leave the country.
A human rights organization has questioned Cambodia’s handling of casino-linked scam activity, pointing to evidence of alleged abuses and the renewal of licences for as many as 12 casinos.
Officials and Economic Zones Face Greater Scrutiny
Cambodian authorities have also examined whether public officials failed to act against fraud compounds or had direct links to criminal organizations.
Hun Manet said special economic zones must comply with the same laws as other businesses and properties.
“If any SEZ is found to be covering for criminal scams, they will be liable under the law just like anyone else,” he said, adding that authorities have so far found no evidence implicating Cambodian SEZs.
As reported by Inside Asian Gaming, the prime minister said the government would continue protecting legitimate economic zones because they support foreign investment and industrial activity.
When asked about US sanctions imposed on senators Ly Yong Phat and Kok An, Hun Manet said: “I think it’s a personal matter.”
“Both senators have engaged legal teams to fight the legal battle in order to clear their names.”
He reportedly declined to assess whether the sanctions were justified.
“We’ll see the result after the court or the defence team,” he said. “It’s not for me to decide.”
Hun Manet said the government had taken action against public officials when investigations found evidence connecting them to illicit activity.
Authorities have also dismissed provincial governors and police commissioners accused of failing to respond adequately to scam operations.
“There are more investigations to go on,” he said. “We are dealing with this.”
Regional observers have called for other governments to support Cambodia’s enforcement campaign.
“This is not only about protecting the country’s reputation but also the matter of security, as Thailand recently used online scams as an excuse to attack and invade Cambodia,” Asian Vision Institute President Chheng Kimlong said.
“Every country has to join hands with Cambodia to combat the cybercrimes based on the spirit of sovereign equality and good faith,” he said.
“By helping Cambodia, they are also extending a helping hand to their people – online scams, as we all know by now, recognise no boundary.”
China’s planned September alliance would place these existing bilateral and multilateral enforcement efforts within a broader international structure. The organization’s effectiveness will depend on participation from countries hosting fraud networks and their ability to exchange actionable information across jurisdictions.