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NEWS - U.S., China Team up in Drug



Subject: NEWS -  U.S., China Team up in Drug War Report

U.S., China Team up in Drug War Report

            Reuters
            31-OCT-98

            WASHINGTON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The United States and
            China have established a secret electronic surveillance post
            along China's border with Burma to eavesdrop on narcotics
            trafficking from the Golden Triangle, one of the world's
            biggest sources of heroin, the Washington Post reported on
            Saturday. 

            Quoting U.S. and Chinese sources, the newspaper said the
            Clinton administration has also given China several dozen
            Jeep-like Humvee vehicles for narcotics interdiction in
            mountainous terrain along the Burmese border. 

            In addition, Chinese sources said, the United States has
            established a secret fund that Chinese officials can access
            to run the surveillance centre and fight drug trafficking. 

            The listening post, staffed by Chinese and U.S. agents near
            the Chinese border town of Ruili in southern Yunnan
            Province, marks a significant step forward in a U.S.
            intelligence-sharing relationship with China dating back to
            1971, the Post said. 

            The newspaper said the post opened in 1995 and the
            arrangement was unaffected by subsequent bickering
            between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan and other
            issues. 

            Intelligence cooperation is insulated from what one Chinese
            source called "short-term" troubles in the relationship. 

            The Ruili listening post is the most advanced of a host of
            new initiatives that U.S. intelligence and law enforcement
            agencies are launching with China to battle international
            crime, the newspaper said. 

            According to the report, a liaison group for law enforcement
            agreed last month to draw up a list of U.S. and Chinese
            criminal suspects who are believed to be operating in each
            other's country. 

            The group also is to arrange the exchange of law
            enforcement personnel and an agreement to share evidence
            and harmonise judicial procedures.