Reuters North American News Service, October 29th, 2007
BEIJING, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Fighting militancy and boosting
energy cooperation between China, Russia and Central Asia will
top the agenda at a summit in Uzbekistan later this week, a
senior Chinese official said on Monday.
Iran's nuclear programme will also likely be discussed when
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao attends a summit of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation and later visits Russia, said
Assistant Chinese Foreign Minister Li Hui.
Beijing is the main backer of the organisation, which says
it is dedicated to fighting terrorism and Islamic militancy in
Central Asia, including home-grown groups in the far western
Chinese region of Xinjiang.
The body groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Li said that the "three forces" -- which China defines as
"terrorism, separatism and extremism" -- remained a serious
problem.
"Everyone knows that in the Euro-Asia region, the
activities of the three forces remain very rampant," Li told a
news conference, pointing to Uzbekistan's crushing of a revolt
in the town of Andizhan in 2005.
"The activities of the three forces, including those of the
East Turkestan organisation, have not stopped and have damaged
regional peace and stability," he said, referring to a group
that has been agitating for independent Xinjiang.
China keeps a tight grip on oil-rich Xinjiang, which
borders Central Asia and where ethnic Uighurs have demanded
greater autonomy and greater religious freedoms.
In January, the government said it killed 18 terrorists in
a gunbattle in the Pamirs plateau in southern Xinjiang, and
captured 17 others, all described as members of the East
Turkestan Islamic Movement. Xinjiang's governor said in March
that the group had links with al Qaeda.
"Our aim is as one -- to uphold the fight against terrorism
and smash the East Turkestan terrorist organisation, to
maintain peace and security, so as to push regional
development," Li said.
Ensuring cooperation between countries with large energy
resources such as Russia and Uzbekistan, and important
consumers such as China, would also benefit people by boosting
the economy, the minister added.
"Developing energy cooperation creates good conditions for
promoting regional peace and stability," Li said, without
giving details on any new deals to be signed.
Li added that Iran's controversial nuclear programme, which
the United States suspects might be used to make weapons, would
probably feature in talks between Wen and his Russian
counterpart.
"I believe that both sides will exchange views about
important bilateral, international and regional issues," Li
added, without elaborating.
China and Russia both oppose sanctions being placed on
Iran.
Wen will also visit Turkmenistan and Belarus.
