BEIJING, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- China hopes that Thailand and Myanmar will crack down on cross-border telecom fraud with strong measures and never allow criminals to go unpunished, a Chinese foreign ministry official has said.

Liu Jinsong, director general of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese foreign ministry, made the remarks on Wednesday when meeting separately with Thai Ambassador to China Chatchai Viriyavejakul, and Ambassador of Myanmar to China Tin Maung Swe. Liu expressed concerns and discussed cooperation in cracking down on cross-border telecom fraud during their meetings.

A series of vicious cases of telecom fraud have recently occurred in the border region between Thailand and Myanmar, threatening and harming the vital interests of citizens of China and other countries, Liu said.

It is hoped that both Thailand and Myanmar will pay great importance to the matter, take vigorous measures to combat these offenses, safeguard the safety of people's lives and property, and never allow the criminals to go unpunished, Liu said.

China is willing to strengthen bilateral and multilateral law enforcement cooperation with ASEAN countries to create a safe environment for the exchanges among people and maintain good order in interactions and cooperation among neighboring countries, including normal tourism and cultural activities, Liu added.

The ambassadors of Thailand and Myanmar to China noted that they attach great importance to China's concerns and are deeply saddened by these vicious cases. They acknowledged the serious threat posed by telecom fraud and voiced their respective governments' commitment to resolutely combating such crimes through comprehensive measures and international cooperation.

The ambassadors pledged to make every effort to rescue those trapped, impose severe penalties on criminal gangs in accordance with the law, strengthen border control and supervision of key areas, and establish long-term mechanisms to eradicate the breeding grounds for cross-border crimes.