There are many areas of mutual interest for Singaporean and Chinese authorities to cooperate more closely to fight transnational crimes more effectively, said Singapore’s top prosecutor.

These areas include fighting cybercrime, money laundering, organized crime, and other transnational criminal activities, Attorney-General of Singapore Lucien Wong told China Daily.

“There is much to be gained from sharing insights, experiences, and information to enable both countries to tackle these issues more effectively,” said Wong in an interview with China Daily during the 15th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference.

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Wong attended the conference, held in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Sept 22-24, during which he joined discussions with regional prosecutors under the theme “Combating Money Laundering and Corruption, and Recovering Assets in the Technological Age”.

The conference was initiated by the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) of China in 2004. It has become a regular multilateral platform for high-level exchanges between the prosecution authorities of China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on issues of common interest.

“Through the years, the regular meetings and training exchanges have helped to deepen mutual understanding and enhanced the expertise of our prosecution authorities,” said Wong.

Wong said Singapore is exposed to the risks of transnational money laundering as criminals seek to exploit its economic openness, financial systems, and business infrastructure to launder illicit funds.

To counter this threat, the Singaporean prosecution authority has instituted a robust anti-money laundering system to detect, enforce, and prosecute illegal activities and the illicit flow of funds.

A special unit was set up within the Attorney-General’s Chambers to prosecute complex financial and commercial crimes, Wong said.

He added that a Cryptocurrency Task Force and a Technology Crime Task Force were also established to deal with challenges posed by virtual assets and handle issues related to tech crimes.  

“Active international cooperation with our counterparts to provide timely assistance and information to actively tackle transnational money laundering is another important aspect of our fight against transnational financial crimes and money laundering,” Wong said.

Noting that he interacted with prosecutors from the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of China on his visits to the country, Wong expressed his “utmost respect” for the professionalism and dedication of its officers and said he has been impressed by the SPP’s use of artificial intelligence and other technologies in its work.

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“I have seen that China has not only managed to achieve continued economic growth, but at the same time, it has also managed to maintain a stable society with a low rate of violent crime,” said Wong. “This is a credit to the work of the SPP and the judiciary in China.”

Besides further developing procuratorial cooperation between Singapore and China, Wong said he also hopes to see closer engagement among prosecutors, enhancing mutual understanding and deepening friendships.

Such personal relationships will form the foundation of the cooperation and positive relationship between Singapore and China, he said.

Contact the writer at kelly@chinadailyapac.com