XISHUANGBANNA, Yunnan - Chinese police Saturday started joint patrols with their counterparts from Laos, Myanmar and Thailand to maintain security along the Mekong River, a major transport passage in the region.

A Chinese patrol vessel carrying special police departs from Guanlei Port in Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture in Southwest China's Yunnan province, Dec 10, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

The joint patrol marked the restoration of international shipping services on the Mekong River that had been suspended since deadly attacks on Chinese cargo ships on October 5.

Escorted by joint patrol boats, ten cargo vessels set sail from the Guanlei Port in Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture of Southwest China's Yunnan province at the launching ceremony on Saturday morning.

The Mekong River, known in China as the Lancang River, rises on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam before spilling into the South China Sea. It plays a crucial economic role throughout the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

The four countries decided to launch joint police patrols in late October, weeks after two cargo ships were attacked on October 5, resulting in the murder of 13 Chinese sailors.

A headquarters for the initiative was established in Xishuangbanna Friday.

Joint police patrols are expected to help restore shipping services, protect the safety of passengers and vessels, as well as reduce crime along the river, said Meng Hongwei, China's vice minister of public security, on Friday.

China has selected more than 200 officers from the country's border police force to form a special police team for joint patrols along the Mekong River.