China Appreciates US Decision to Put ETIM on Terror List

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, August 28, 2002

China Appreciates US Decision to Put ETIM on Terror List

China appreciates the United State's decision to put the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) on its list of terrorist organizations, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said Tuesday in Beijing.

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China appreciates the United State's decision to put the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) on its list of terrorist organizations, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said Tuesday in Beijing.

Kong said the US has officially informed China about the decision, which visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage revealed on Monday.

Kong said China and the United States shares extensive common interests in the field of anti-terrorism.

China is ready to make joint efforts, enhance mutual consultation and deepen bilateral co-operation with the US in the fight against terror.

Kong said ETIM and other East Turkistan organizations have joined international terrorist forces to create violent terrorist incidents inside and outside of China for a long time, posing severe threats to regional security and stability.

He said there is evidence connecting East Turkistan organizations with international terrorist forces. (For more information about ETIM, click here)

Terrorism is a scourge on the international community that all nations should make join efforts to combat, Kong said.

Armitage was in Beijing to meet Vice-Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, in preparation for President Jiang Zemin's October US tour.

He said the US Government judges ETIM as a terrorist organization that committed acts of violence on civilians.

Armitage said United States is inspired by China's efforts to jointly strike terrorist activities with the US and will co-operate with China to crack down on terrorist forces, especially to cut off their financial sources.

Armitage reiterated on Monday that the United States "does not support Taiwan independence.''

He said he did not believe Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian's "one country on each side'' statement will "interfere with the third summit meeting between US President Bush and Chinese President Jiang Zemin.''

Anti-terror co-op strengthened

The US took a big step forward in the international campaign against terrorism when it listed "East Turkistan" separatists as a terrorist organization, said a commentary by Wednesday's China Daily.

"After careful study," visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Lee Armitage said on Monday, "we judged that it was a terrorist group; that it committed acts of violence against unarmed civilians."

The United States pledges to co-operate with China to crack down on terrorist forces, especially to cut off their financial sources, according to Armitage.

Finally, the United States acknowledged the fact that the "East Turkistan" militants are engaged in lethal terrorist activities, which lead to tragic loss of life and damage to the assets of civilians.

Since the 1990s, the "East Turkistan" forces inside and outside Chinese territory have organized a series of violent incidents in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region including explosions, assassinations, arsons, poisonings, and assaults, with the objective of founding a so-called state of "East Turkistan."

Evidence reveals that the "East Turkistan" forces are closely linked to Osama bin Laden, whose camps trained the terrorists and sent them to China's Xinjiang and to countries in Central Asia to organize terrorist activities.

Terrorism, a common evil of mankind, requires the joint efforts and close co-operation of the international community to fight it.

As an important foundation for the anti-terrorism alliance, a universal standard in the judgment of terrorism is a must.

If a country applies double-standards in the anti-terror campaign, for whatever reasons such as its own interest or ideological differences, it will only play into the hands of terrorists, exposing innocent civilians to threat.

Worse, it may shake the newly-forged international anti-terrorism alliance.

The US move is expected to further consolidate its anti-terror co-operation with China, who has reiterated on many occasions that it opposes terrorism in any form and has rendered support to the US-led anti-terrorism campaign.

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