Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Thursday that China is actively carrying out bilateral and multilateral cooperation with countries including Thailand and Myanmar to eradicate the scourge of online gambling and telecom fraud.

It is reported that the first batch of Chinese nationals rescued from the fraud compounds in Myawaddy, Myanmar, will return to China on a chartered flight on Thursday.

“Resolutely combating online gambling and telecom fraud is a manifestation of implementing the people-centered development philosophy and an inevitable choice to safeguard the common interests of regional countries,” Guo told a daily news conference.

“It also meets the common expectations of the people of all countries,” he added.

China is working with relevant countries by adopting comprehensive measures, addressing the phenomena and their root causes of online gambling and telecom fraud, and blocking criminals from fleeing and committing crimes across borders, to safeguard safety of people’s lives and property and the normal order of exchanges among regional countries, Guo said.