China adopts pacts on SCO anti-terrorism co-op

BEIJING - China's national legislature on Saturday adopted two pacts on anti-terrorism cooperation among Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members.

One pact is on the procedures of organizing joint anti-terrorism drills among SCO members. The other is on the procedures of carrying out joint anti-terrorism actions in the territory of SCO members.

Both were adopted at the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), which closed here Saturday.

The two pacts are expected to promote cooperation among members to fight "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and protect regional peace, security and stability.

The pact on the procedures of carrying out joint anti-terrorism actions in the territory of SCO members was signed by the governments of China and five other SCO members in 2006 and took effect in 2009.

Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan had adopted the pact.

The pact asks a SCO member to assist other members to carry out anti-terrorism actions in its territory and regulates how the cooperation works.

It was an important move to cope with security threats to China's western region from terrorist activities in Central Asia, said Yang Huanning, vice minister of public security, when elaborating on the pact to lawmakers during the legislative session.

The pact on the procedures of organizing joint anti-terrorism drills among SCO members was signed by the governments of six SCO members in 2008 but has not taken effect yet.

By November last year, Russia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan had adopted the pact.

The activities of terrorists, separatists and extremists have been active in this region while drug trafficking from Afghanistan has increased and cross-border crimes happened from time to time, Yang said.

The pact has laid a legal foundation for SCO members to organize anti-terrorism drills, which will help them carry out concrete cooperation and benefit the stability along China's western border, Yang said.