04-24-2004, 04:14 AM
<b>China for anti-terror front with India, Pak</b>
23 April 2004: China has offered to work separately with India and Pakistan to contain Uyghur terrorism in its Xinjiang province and the Himalayan region, but while both countries accept of such cooperation in principle, the nitty-gritties remain to be worked out.
The Chinese defence minister, Cao Gangchuan, visited India last month, and suggested setting up reciprocal anti-terrorist monitoring stations in Indian Ladakh and Tibet, but because of the impending elections, and the surprise nature of the request, no progress was made.
Cao also suggested intelligence-sharing on terrorism and the exchange of intelligence operatives, but again, India made no commitment, except to say it was committed with China to fight terror.
On his visit to China earlier this month, the Chinese side also sought joint anti-terrorist operations with Pakistanâs foreign minister, Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, offering the same terms as previously offered to India, but Pakistan has taken no decision so far.
<b>In Xinjiang and in other Uyghur-dominated provinces, there have been nearly two-hundred bomb blasts and terrorist attacks in the last six months, and China fears that the terrorist violence is radiating to its so-far peaceful Western region</b>.
With the United States entrenched in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia, China apprehends American intervention under cover of resolving the Uyghur crisis, which diplomats cite as a reason for China to approach India and Pakistan for joint action against terrorism.
23 April 2004: China has offered to work separately with India and Pakistan to contain Uyghur terrorism in its Xinjiang province and the Himalayan region, but while both countries accept of such cooperation in principle, the nitty-gritties remain to be worked out.
The Chinese defence minister, Cao Gangchuan, visited India last month, and suggested setting up reciprocal anti-terrorist monitoring stations in Indian Ladakh and Tibet, but because of the impending elections, and the surprise nature of the request, no progress was made.
Cao also suggested intelligence-sharing on terrorism and the exchange of intelligence operatives, but again, India made no commitment, except to say it was committed with China to fight terror.
On his visit to China earlier this month, the Chinese side also sought joint anti-terrorist operations with Pakistanâs foreign minister, Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, offering the same terms as previously offered to India, but Pakistan has taken no decision so far.
<b>In Xinjiang and in other Uyghur-dominated provinces, there have been nearly two-hundred bomb blasts and terrorist attacks in the last six months, and China fears that the terrorist violence is radiating to its so-far peaceful Western region</b>.
With the United States entrenched in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia, China apprehends American intervention under cover of resolving the Uyghur crisis, which diplomats cite as a reason for China to approach India and Pakistan for joint action against terrorism.