The three other defendants were charged with knowingly buying women who had been abducted, according to prosecutors. The court is expected to release its verdict soon.

Under China's Criminal Law, people found guilty of kidnapping or trafficking women face jail terms of between five and 10 years.

However, if the circumstances are deemed more serious－such as the use of force, or even people dying during abduction－traffickers face sentences ranging from 10 years to the death penalty, according to Li Wei, a lawyer from the Beijing Lawyers Association.

Judicial cooperation

Chen Shiqu said the authorities face practical challenges identifying such crimes and breaking the profit chain.

"We have difficulty uncovering evidence, managing and controlling the border, and busting major criminal rings," he said.

China and Vietnam recently agreed to use a number of joint patrols to tackle the problem.

The two countries signed the Mekong River Sub-regional Cooperation Anti-trafficking Memo in 2001, and established annual meetings between senior officials, according to Dai Peng, a law professor who specializes in criminal investigation at the People's Public Security University of China.

Moreover, China has also established eight border offices with neighboring countries, including four with Vietnam, he said.

Chen Shiqu said Chinese police will carry out regular exercises to combat the trafficking of foreign women, and will also pay greater attention to patrolling key areas such as bus stations, docks and small roads in the countryside or mountainous regions that are often used by traffickers.

The police will also continue to strengthen resettlement and repatriation for rescued women to protect their rights.

Hong Daode, a law professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, said greater cross-border efforts will be required to beat the traffickers.

"International cooperation is vital, because it leads to greater intelligence sharing and better cooperation on joint actions, which is the key to capturing traffickers and smashing cross-border trafficking rings," he said.

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