Hong Kong, Japan customs sign co-operative pact

HONG KONG, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department and the Customs Administration of Japan pledged to strengthen co-operation in fighting transnational customs crimes by signing a Customs Co-operative Arrangement on Tuesday.

The Commissioner of the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, Richard Yuen, and the Director-General of the Japan Customs and Tariff Bureau, Yukiyasu Aoyama, signed the arrangement at a ceremony, according to a press statement released by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

"The co-operative arrangement signifies our mutual commitment to elevate our relationship to a new platform as well as our determination to foster stronger co-operation," Yuen was quoted as saying at the ceremony.

The signing of the co-operative arrangement marks the common wish of both administrations to co-operate more closely in various areas, including fighting against smuggling and drug trafficking and protecting intellectual property rights through arrangements of mutual administrative assistance.

So far, Hong Kong Customs has signed Customs Co-operative Arrangements with 11 customs administrations, including customs administration in the Chinese mainland.