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Terror: China and Pakistan reaffirm resolve

Nirupama Subramanian

"Framework defence agreement an important step toward promoting cooperation"

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Saturday reaffirmed their commitment to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism.

A joint statement on the third day of President Hu Jintao's visit said: "The two sides shared the view that terrorism, separatism and extremism pose great threats to regional peace, stability and security and reaffirmed their commitment to substantive cooperation under bilateral and multilateral frameworks to jointly combat the `three forces' and maintain regional peace, stability and security."

China is concerned about Uighyur separatists using Pakistani territory to launch attacks in the Xinjiang province on its western border.

Two years ago, Pakistan responded swiftly to Chinese concerns and clamped down on Uighyur activity on its side of the border, and the two countries also held a military exercise in the region codenamed Friendship 2004.

The two countries have entered into an agreement for Pakistan to set up a consulate general in Chengdu, capital of the south-west Sichuan province "to facilitate people-to-people exchanges and trade and economic cooperation between the western region of China and Pakistan."

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