The Anti‐Fraud Lever: China's Strategic Use of the Scam Crackdown to Invigorate the LMLECC Process Against Thailand's Reluctance

ABSTRACT China launched an unprecedented crackdown on Myanmar‐based, transnational, Chinese‐led criminal syndicates—particularly telecommunications and Internet fraud rings targeting Chinese nationals. This action was prompted by a public outcry over human trafficking and the increasing number of victims of fraud in China. The Chinese campaign comprised several actions, including organizing joint operations, such as Operation SEAGULL under the Chinese‐led Lancang–Mekong Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Center (LMLECC), and authorizing high‐profile extraterritorial activities—most notably Liu Zhongyi's conspicuous actions on Thai soil. Although China's assertive measures have been successful in dismantling major fraud operation centers, its near‐unilateral actions and circumvention of traditional diplomatic norms and protocols have negatively affected Sino–Thai relations, raising concerns regarding sovereignty and the expanding reach of LMLECC cooperation. In this context, the disruption of Chinese‐led criminal syndicates likely served as a pretext for China to advance its political and security influence in the Mekong region.