Chinese lawmakers yesterday began debating the country's first bill specifically designed to crack down on drugs that flood across the borders.

"It is important to introduce such a law as China is now facing a grave situation in drug control," Zhang Xinfeng, vice minister of public security, told the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in Beijing.

China is estimated to have more than 700,000 heroin addicts, with most of the drugs coming from the Golden Triangle area, where Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet, and the Golden Crescent along the Pakistan and Afghan frontiers.

Zhang said narcotics from the Golden Triangle were "pouring" into China, "posing a great threat to China's drug control efforts."

Five of China's six provincial areas troubled most by drug problems are in the country's west adjacent to the two narcotics producing regions.

"It's impossible to fight drug problems without international cooperation," Zhang said.

He noted that the bill introduced yesterday requires Chinese police to share information with other countries and international organizations and enhance collaboration in investigations.

Under the bill, China would also share seizures with other countries, and Chinese authorities would be required by the law to support opium crop replacement planting in other nations.

China has already began an opium replacement planting scheme with Myanmar and Laos and other neighboring countries. Rubber, tea and other crops are grown as substitutes.

The bill introduced yesterday also would set strict rules on the clinical use of pharmaceuticals and other chemicals that could be used to make illegal narcotics.

Regular checks will be required during the production, sale and use of clinical medicines that could be diverted to illegal drug manufacturing. The bill stipulates that farms which grow medicinal substances and warehouses that store them will be placed under state guard.

The bill requires the owners and managers of discos, bars and nightclubs to post anti-drug signs in prominent places inside their venues and to report drug activity to the police.

It also authorizes police to search people and their luggage for illegal drugs at key public places such as train stations, long-distance bus stations and border crossings.

Editor: Yan