In order to combat the notorious and rampant piracy along China's southeast coast and protect the safety of ocean shipping, the Ministry of Public Security has convened a meeting on investigating maritime high crimes.

The ministry said in a press release today that police departments in related areas must step up efforts in fighting piracy at sea.

According to international maritime organizations, armed robberies and murders at Southeast Asian waters off China's southeast coast this year accounted for 43 percent of the total of such crimes around the globe.

Since the second half of 1998, Chinese police forces have solved five major cases perpetrated in China's territorial waters, the ministry said.

It also said in a decree that all related public security departments in the country should strengthen cooperation with other judiciary bodies, customs, port authorities, harbor administrations and fishing bureaus in terms of information and combat actions.

Police departments must form special units to handle specific maritime crimes occurring in their jurisdiction, the decree said.