The fifth edition of the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum will take place in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, from 8 to 10 September 2026, with its opening ceremony and inaugural telecom‑fraud alliance meeting scheduled for 9 September.

Organised under the theme "unite to advance public security governance, bring stability to a turbulent world", the forum will bring together senior law-enforcement officials, representatives of international organisations including the United Nations and Interpol, diplomats, former government and law-enforcement officials, and international experts. The event is intended to promote international dialogue and practical cooperation in response to increasingly interconnected and transnational public-security challenges.

The programme includes eight sub-forums addressing migration management, international drug control, counter-terrorism,cybersecurity, public-security technology and equipment, police education, tourism security and international security services. The breadth of the programme reflects an increasingly integrated approach to public security, in which traditional law-enforcement concerns intersect with digital technologies, cross-border crime, migration, critical security infrastructure and emerging technological risks.

According to Chen Siyuan, chairman of the China Association for Friendship, contemporary public-security challenges are becoming increasingly interconnected, cross-border and diverse. He identified telecom and online fraud, terrorism and drug-related crime among the major threats, while also pointing to emerging risks associated with artificial intelligence and data security. Criminal groups are increasingly exploiting technologies and digital infrastructures such as virtual currencies, the dark web, encrypted communications and drones. The evolution of these threats illustrates how digital technologies are becoming embedded within the operational models of organised crime and other forms of transnational criminal activity.

The forum therefore aims to strengthen dialogue, practical cooperation and capacity building among a broad range of actors, including governments, law-enforcement agencies, social organisations, businesses and research institutions. Since its establishment, the forum has reportedly brought together more than 5,000 participants and organised more than 30 sub-forums, seminars and round-table discussions addressing issues including counter-terrorism, drug control, tourism security and drone safety. The 2026 edition will also be accompanied by the publication of the Global Public Security Index Report (2025-26) and its corresponding annual report. The previous edition's index assessed countries across dimensions including law and order, counter-terrorism, road traffic safety and cybersecurity, with artificial intelligence security also incorporated into the assessment framework.

A major development alongside the forum will be the inaugural meeting of an international alliance against telecom and online fraud, convened by China's Ministry of Public Security. China announced in July that the proposed alliance would take the form of an intergovernmental organisation involving law-enforcement agencies from participating countries. More than 40 countries had expressed willingness to participate at the time of the announcement. The initiative is intended to strengthen intelligence sharing, joint investigations, coordinated law-enforcement operations and other forms of cooperation against transnational fraud networks.

The proposed alliance builds on China's existing bilateral and multilateral cooperation against telecom and online fraud. According to Chinese authorities, law-enforcement operations involving more than 30 countries have been conducted in recent years. Cooperation with Myanmar, for example, has targeted major fraud compounds, while China, Myanmar and Thailand established a ministerial-level coordination mechanism in 2025. Chinese, US and UAE law-enforcement agencies also conducted their first joint operation against telecom and online fraud in 2026, reportedly dismantling nine fraud sites and arresting 276 suspects.

The forum will also feature a public-security technology expo running from 7 to 11 September. More than 100 Chinese companies specialising in public-security and police equipment are expected to participate, showcasing technologies and equipment through demonstrations, product launches and procurement meetings. The exhibition will also include areas dedicated to overseas security services, export support and cooperation with international law-enforcement actors.

The combination of a policy forum, law-enforcement cooperation mechanisms and a large technology exhibition demonstrates the increasingly close relationship between public-security governance, international police cooperation and technological development. Cybersecurity and technology are no longer treated solely as specialised technical matters but as integral components of broader public-security strategies.

Why does it matter?

This forum is significant because it illustrates the growing digitalisation and internationalisation of public-security governance. The inclusion of cybersecurity alongside counter-terrorism, migration, drug control and other traditional security issues reflects the extent to which digital technologies have become embedded in contemporary criminal activity and law-enforcement responses. Telecom and online fraud, in particular, demonstrates how organised crime can exploit global communications networks, digital platforms, cryptocurrencies and other technologies to operate across jurisdictions.

The proposed international alliance against telecom and online fraud highlights the growing importance of cross-border cooperation, information sharing and coordinated law enforcement in addressing cyber-enabled crime. Such cooperation is increasingly necessary because investigations often involve victims, perpetrators, infrastructure, financial flows and electronic evidence located in different jurisdictions. The initiative therefore connects directly with broader debates around cybercrime governance, electronic evidence, international cooperation and capacity building.

The forum also demonstrates the convergence of Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity and public-security technology. Chinese authorities explicitly identify AI and data security as emerging public-security concerns, while the accompanying technology expo highlights the expanding role of technology in policing. This raises broader questions about responsible use, data protection, surveillance, interoperability and human rights safeguards in increasingly technology-driven law enforcement.

Finally, the event has a geopolitical dimension. By bringing together governments, international organisations, law-enforcement agencies and technology companies, China is positioning itself as a convenor and potential norm-shaper in international public-security cooperation.This makes the forum relevant not only as a cybersecurity or cybercrime development, but also as an example of how digital technologies, international security cooperation and technology governance are increasingly intertwined.