Cablegate: China: 2001 Annual Terrorism Report

R 120915Z DEC 01
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3316
INFO AMCONSUL CHENGDU
AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
AMCONSUL SHENYANG
AMCONSUL HONG KONG
AIT TAIPEI 9222

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 011971

S/CT FOR REAP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER CH
SUBJECT: CHINA: 2001 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

REF: STATE 198912

1. BELOW IS THE 2001 TERRORISM REPORT FOR CHINA.
RESPONSES ARE KEYED TO REFTEL PARAGRAPH TWO
REQUIREMENTS.

2. A) CHINA STRONGLY AND PROMPTLY CONDEMNED THE
SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS, WHICH PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN
DESCRIBED ON SEPTEMBER 12 AS AN ATTACK BOTH ON THE
UNITED STATES AND ON WORLD PEACE. IT PROVIDED STRONG
SUPPORT FOR THE PASSAGE AND IMPLEMENTATION OF UNSCR 1368
AND 1373. AFTER THE COMMENCEMENT OF U.S. MILITARY
ACTION IN AFGHANISTAN, THE MFA STATED THAT CHINA
SUPPORTED ACTION THAT STRIKES AT TERRORISM, WHILE NOTING
THAT RELATED MILITARY ACTIVITY SHOULD BE DIRECTED AT
SPECIFIC TARGETS AND AVOID HURTING INNOCENT CIVILIANS.
CHINA ALSO TOOK STEPS TO TIGHTEN CONTROL OF ITS BORDERS,
ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN. AS HOST
OF THE 2001 ASIA PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION FORUM,
CHINA JOINED IN THE APEC LEADERS' STATEMENT ON
COUNTERTERRORISM, WHICH CONDEMNED THE TERRORIST ATTACKS,
PLEDGED TO FULLY IMPLEMENT UNSCRS 1368 AND 1373, AND
CALLED FOR THE EARLY RATIFICATION OF THE UNIVERSAL ANTI-
TERRORIST CONVENTIONS. AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, THE PRC
AGREED TO UNDERTAKE REGULAR COUNTERTERRORISM
CONSULTATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES TO DISCUSS WAYS TO
IMPROVE BILATERAL COOPERATION AGAINST TERRORISM. TWO
ROUNDS HAVE BEEN HELD THUS FAR.

B) N/A

C) THERE WERE NO ACTS OF TERRORISM COMMITTED IN CHINA
THIS YEAR AGAINST U.S. CITIZENS OR INTERESTS. ALTHOUGH
THERE WERE A FEW REPORTS OF BOMBINGS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF
CHINA DURING THE YEAR, THESE APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN
CRIMINAL ACTS, RATHER THAN POLITICAL TERRORISM.

D,E) EMBASSY IS UNAWARE OF ANY EXTRADITIONS OR REQUESTS
FOR EXTRADITIONS OF TERRORISTS TO OR FROM CHINA IN 2001.
THERE IS NO EXTRADITION TREATY IN FORCE BETWEEN THE U.S.
AND CHINA. ON MARCH 8, A MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CHINA ENTERED INTO FORCE.
THE MLAA WILL ALLOW FOR ENHANCED COOPERATION IN THE
APPREHENSION AND PROSECUTION OF CRIMINALS, INCLUDING
TERRORISTS.

F) AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, CHINA SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED
INFORMATION SHARING IN A NUMBER OF AREAS, INCLUDING
THROUGH LAW ENFORCEMENT CHANNELS, CONCERNING PERSONS
POSSIBLY RELATED TO TERRORIST ACTIVITIES.

G) CHINA HAS REPEATEDLY EXPRESSED IN INTERNATIONAL FORA
ITS OPPOSITION TO TERRORISM. IN ADDITION TO THE PRC'S
REACTION TO THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11, CHINESE
OFFICIALS CONSISTENTLY EXPRESS OPPOSITION TO ACTS OF
TERRORISM IN OTHER COUNTRIES. ALONG WITH RUSSIA AND
OTHER CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES, CHINA IS A MEMBER OF THE
SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION, WHOSE STATED
OBJECTIVES INCLUDE COMBATING TERRORISM. CHINA ALSO
SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED ITS DISCUSSIONS OF
COUNTERTERRORISM ISSUES IN ITS BILATERAL DIPLOMATIC
DISCUSSIONS WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER NATIONS.

H) CHINA DOES NOT SUPPORT TERRORISM, TERRORISTS OR
TERRORIST GROUPS, BUT IT DOES MAINTAIN DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS WITH ALL OF THOSE COUNTRIES DESIGNATED BY THE
SECRETARY OF STATE AS STATE SPONSORS OF TERRORISM.

I) CHINA HAS NOT MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENT IN SUPPORT
OF A TERRORIST-SUPPORTING COUNTRY ON A TERRORISM ISSUE.

J) CHINA BEGAN PLACING A HIGHER PRIORITY ON
COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS EVEN PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER 11.
THIS WAS PROBABLY THE RESULT OF UNEASE ABOUT THE
SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN, CENTRAL ASIA, AND NEARBY
AREAS, INCLUDING NORTHWEST CHINA, AND OVER CONCERNS
ABOUT POSSIBLE TERRORIST THREATS TO THE 2001 APEC FORUM
IN SHANGHAI AND THE BEIJING OLYMPICS IN 2008. AFTER THE
SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS, THE PROMINENCE AND INTENSITY OF
CHINA'S COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY.

K) AS DISCUSSED IN SECTION A ABOVE, THE U.S. AND CHINA
HAVE HELD TWO ROUNDS OF COUNTERTERRORISM CONSULTATIONS
SINCE SEPTEMBER 11, AND ARE COOPERATING TO SHARE
INFORMATION AND FURTHER COUNTERTERRORISM WORK IN THE
UNITED NATIONS. CHINA HAS ALSO PLEDGED TO FULLY
IMPLEMENT ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF UNSCR 1373, INCLUDING
THE FREEZING OF TERRORISTS' ASSETS. ON DECEMBER 6, THE
MFA ANNOUNCED THAT A "SERIOUS INVESTIGATION" HAD
DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE NO ASSETS LINKED TO
TERRORISTS IN CHINA.

L) N/A

M) AT U.S. REQUEST, CHINESE AUTHORITIES CLOSED
SIDEWALKS AND STREETS AROUND U.S. GOVERNMENT FACILITIES
IN CHINA AFTER SEPTEMBER 11. CHINESE AUTHORITIES ALSO
PLEDGED TO RESPOND IMMEDIATELY TO SPECIFIC REQUESTS FOR
ACTIONS, AND DID SO ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.

MARINE

© Scoop Media