China’s leader Xi Jinping and visiting Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra have vowed to crack down on the scam networks that plague Southeast Asia as the two met in Beijing.

China's President Xi Jinping met Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Beijing on Thursday, the official Xinhua news agency reported, as the two countries eye closer ties amid growing global uncertainties.

Chinese President Xi Jinping thanked Thailand’s visiting prime minister on Thursday for a crackdown on scam centers in Myanmar a day after Thailand cut off electricity and internet services to five hubs for the illegal operations just over its border.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to back Thailand’s efforts to suppress online scam operations, as Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra sought Beijing’s help to ease safety concerns of tourists from the mainland.

The recent high-profile case of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who went to Thailand for what he thought was an acting job but was abducted and later rescued from a scam centre in Myanmar, has sparked heated discussion in China about cross-border telecom scams.