China is to draft a counter-terrorism law, a senior security official said on Thursday, describing separatists in its Xinjiang region as the leading threat to the country. "The law will define what kind of activities are terrorist activities and measures to be taken in fighting terrorist activities," state media quoted Zhao Yongchen, deputy director of the counter-terrorism bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, as saying.
"Preparations for formulation of the law are under way," the official Xinhua news agency quoted him as telling a China-Asean workshop for senior police officers hosted by the ministry.
More than 30 senior officers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are attending the week-long workshop.
Zhao described the "East Turkestan" forces as the number one extremist threat to China, saying they carried out more than 200 "terrorist activities" in the north-western Xinjiang region in the 1990s.
He said China also faces a threat from international forces, mainly to its interests abroad.
Zhao said it was important to cut the financial links that fund extremist activities, a tactic that requires close international co-operation.
Xinjiang is home to a strong separatist movement.
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