BEIJING - Joint police patrols along the Mekong River will kick off in mid December to restore security after a deadly attack to Chinese ships in October.

Chinese police will start patrols along the river with Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, said a statement from the Ministry of Public Security here Saturday.

No exact date was given, but the first joint patrol will be carried out before December 15, said the statement, issued after a ministerial meeting of four countries held in Beijing.

Police from the four will work together to restore shipping and guarantee security along the river, the statement said.

Shipping on the Mekong River has been suspended since two cargo ships were attacked on October 5, resulting in the murder of 13 Chinese sailors.

A headquarters for the initiative will be founded in China and there will be a coordination office in each of the other three countries. They will be linked by a round-the-clock communication mechanism, the statement said.

China will assist Laos and Myanmar police in terms of training and equipment, the statement said.

Police departments of the four countries will also set up a coordination team to work out more security measures along the Mekong River, it added.

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