A number of recent reports have highlighted the involvement of Chinese nationals in transnational organised crime, though this issue is not new. China has been grappling with trafficking problems for some time, stemming from its now-defunct ‘one-child’ policy, declining birth rate, and ageing population. The geopolitical complexities have rendered China and its neighbouring countries, particularly in Southeast Asia, vulnerable to crimes such as trafficking, gambling, and smuggling, which have assumed a more transnational role and become a global security concern.
A significant contributing factor is linked to China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which now includes around 139 countries, including six in Southeast Asia.
For a long time, China has not only conveniently overlooked but quietly promoted ‘bride’ trafficking, involving the trafficking of young girls and women for marriage and sexual exploitation. This practice is not confined to Chinese provinces but extends to neighbouring countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Vietnam. A noticeable increase in bride trafficking cases was observed during the first half of 2020, with Asian countries being the primary source.
Women trafficked from these regions typically come from impoverished, vulnerable communities and are lured or kidnapped across the border to China under false pretences of employment or marriage that promises a better life. For example, the latest report on Bangladeshi women being trafficked to China for prostitution revealed that women from Bangladesh’s indigenous communities are more susceptible to becoming victims of human trafficking to China.
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In addition to human trafficking, a significant China-backed weapons network has been implicated in cross-border arms and drug smuggling. Myanmar, embroiled in civil war since the 2021 coup and experiencing an economic crisis, has become an ideal location for such activities. While China has maintained cordial relations with the military junta, it has also appeased rebel and insurgent groups through arms smuggling to ensure the smooth progress of its ongoing Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects.
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The new infrastructural routes under the BRI have facilitated the transit of illicit trade across Southeast Asia’s borders. For instance, Cambodia’s port town of Sihanoukville, identified as a special economic zone and a flagship BRI project, has been linked to organised crime. Similarly, Myanmar’s Shwe Koko special economic zone, a hub of human trafficking and forced labour run by a Chinese syndicate, was presented as part of a BRI project.
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Chinese state-run media’s reporting on Chinese-linked transnational organised crimes is both calculative and selective. Only high-profile cases are mentioned, where Chinese anti-crime policies are praised, and annual crackdowns on various crimes are highlighted, along with joint efforts with other nations, particularly BRI countries. However, the systemic nature of these crimes and China’s broader complicity in facilitating them across its borders, adding to the complexity of the issue, are not discussed.
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Transnational organised crime linked to China, predominantly based in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) nations, presents significant governance challenges alongside economic and security concerns. However, there is a notable absence of substantial efforts at the highest levels in affected countries to hold China accountable for the involvement of its nationals and criminal syndicates in organised crime abroad, which poses global security risks. Instead, there are occasional reports of arrests and deportations under pressure, often portrayed as joint efforts with the Chinese government.
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Transnational organised crime linked to China poses not only a security threat to countries where it thrives but also affects neighbouring nations like India. India has expressed concerns over trafficking issues along its porous borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar. Moreover, China’s recent aggressive stance towards India, exemplified by border incursions, suggests that India is a target of Chinese-linked organised crime ...