China vowed on Thursday to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in anti-drug law enforcement under the regional cooperation mechanism.

Wei Xiaojun, deputy director-general of Narcotics Control Bureau of Ministry of Public Security of China, made the pledge at the first ASOD plus China Coordination Meeting here Thursday, which is part of the 34th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Drug Matters (ASOD).

Wei said China is always open to anti-drug law enforcement cooperation with ASEAN member countries as well as Japan and South Korea to finally create a world free of drugs.

China National Narcotics Control Commission has been actively developing cooperation with counterparts from Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia in the field of intelligence exchange and joint law enforcement related to drug trafficking, Wei said.

Considerable large amount of drug manufacturers and trafficking cases have been uncovered, dozens of major drug lords arrested and a great deal of drugs, precursors and drug-related assets seized.

He recalled that over the last two years, in cooperation with Myanmar, Thailand and Laos, Nawkham drug crime syndicate was brought to justice in China.

With the aim of maintaining safety and peace along Mekong River, China initiated the Safe Mekong joint operation between April and June this year, during which 1,784 cases were uncovered, 9.8 tons of drugs, 260 tons of precursor chemicals seized and 2,534 drug crime suspects arrested.

He cited the statistics as saying that in 2012, over 120,000 drug-related cases were exposed, an increase of 19.8 percent from the previous year, among which 49,138 cases were related to methamphetamine and 43,411 related to heroin.

A total of 132,773 drug-related suspects were arrested, 16.2 tons of methamphetamine and 7.3 tons of heroin seized.

He pointed out that China is still threatened by the drugs from "Golden Triangle" in northern Myanmar which is the main drug source to China.

In 2012, the cultivation of opium poppy in northern Myanmar reached 42,500 hectares, increasing by 33.8 percent year-on-year, which was expected to produce 600 tons of opium, and hence 60 tons of heroin.

About 90 percent of heroin seized in the China and more than 90 percent of methamphetamine tablets in Chinese market came from the same region, he said.

He added that since law enforcement efforts along the China- Myanmar border were enhanced, drug syndicates turned to explore trafficking routes via Laos.

He revealed that in 2012, Yunnan's drug control agencies seized 5.6 tons of various drugs smuggled via Laos, an increase of 13 percent year-on-year.

He made a five-point proposal which includes further enhancing of intelligence sharing, setting up of task forces and launching joint interdiction when necessary at high-risk air, sea and land ports, and setting up of long-term investigation for large drug crime syndicates.

The 34th ASOD, hosted by Myanmar for the second time, is attended by officials from the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN member countries, representatives from ASEAN dialogue partners -- China, Japan, South Korea and India and those from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the United States, Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The 34th ASOD began on Tuesday and will end on Friday.