LIANYUNGANG, China — Effective policing of cyberspace is important to prevent cybercrime among the youth that leads to incidents such as school shootings, according to a former Hong Kong police commissioner.
Responding to a question by The Manila Times, Andy Tsang Wai-hung, chairman of the 2026 Global Public Security Cooperation Forum Lianyungang, said in a press briefing that countries should think "cyberpolicing" as a way to prevent young people from going astray.
Tsang compared the prevalence of cybercrime with the evolution of drug crimes.
"In the old days, the spread of the use of drugs was usually through peer groups. People who meet young people at school or in places where they play around. But in today's world, it's the internet, it's the social media. Imagine young people, children, who are using drugs. They are more prone to using violence," Tsang said.
He is also not inclined on suggestions to ban children from using social media.
"It's easier to ban children when they're attending school, because the school can say, well, I'm going to check your school bags to make sure that you don't have a phone. But if you say, I'm going to ban anyone under 16 from using social media, how can you do that? I don't know," Tsang said.
His comments come after the Philippines experienced several incidents of violence in schools.
Meanwhile, Tsang said the forum, now on its fifth year, has expanded its outreach and raised the level of participation, with 2,100 delegates coming from 139 countries and regions as well as international organizations.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on Wednesday, Chinese Minister for Public Security Wang Xiaohong proposed greater consensus on stability and strengthening synergy and cooperation to ensure stable development.
He said that China is willing to work with all parties to actively implement these proposals.
United Nations Undersecretary for Peace Operations Jean Pierre Lacroix said that police institutions are confronting increasingly complex and interconnected threats, such as organized crime, terrorism, and cybercrime. trafficking and misuse of emerging technologies.
"Serious and transnational crime can weaken institutions, undermine the rule of law, erode public confidence and, in fragile settings, contribute to broader instability," Lacroix said.
That is why the United Nations has welcomed efforts to strengthen cooperation among member states, including through enhanced information sharing, capacity building, and cooperation among national authorities.
"This is why no country can address today’s security challenges alone. International cooperation is not simply desirable, it is indispensable," Lacroix said.
Alongside the forum, the inaugural Conference of the International Alliance Combating Telecom and Cyber Fraud was also held, which aims to fight transnational telecommunications and online fraud.
The alliance was proposed by China and is participated by 46 countries, with 34 observer nations and four international organizations led by the United Nations and the Interpol.
The conference issued a joint statement on the creation of the alliance, noting that all countries recognize the "global scourge" of telecommunications and cyber fraud, and the creation of an intergovernmental international organization based on international conventions is imperative to jointly respond to combating telecom and cyber fraud and related crimes.
A tech expo was also held at the sidelines of the conference, where different companies showcased technologies used in public security, most of them involving the use of artificial intelligence or AI.
The Global Public Security Cooperation Forum Lianyungang is a platform where all parties can discuss security landscape, share security concepts and deliberate on security solutions.
Among those who participated are four officials from the Philippine National Police's Directorate for Education and Training led by its chief and head of delegation, Maj. Gen. Bowenn Joy Masauding.
