A new program will help countries in the Mekong region tackle drug and human trafficking, child sexual exploitation and financial crimes
Australia will ramp up its efforts to help south-east Asian countries fight serious crime, as it seeks to build influence in a region where China is increasingly dominant.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is considering prospective bidders to oversee the new program focusing on crime in the Mekong region – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – with a decision due by the start of March.