China's top legislature ratified an agreement to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism with Pakistan on Sunday.

The Sino-Pakistan Cooperative Agreement on Combating the "Three Evil Forces", which was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Aug. 22 for deliberation, defines terrorism, separatism and extremism, and outlines the scope of cooperation between the countries.

The pact, which was signed in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, in April 2005, is the second international pact signed by China and foreign countries after the agreement with Kirghizia, Kazakhstan, Tadzhikistan and Uzbekistan to safeguard regional peace and stability.

Briefing lawmakers at the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Aug. 22, Wu Dawei, vice-minister of foreign affairs, said the bill is necessary as the three evil forces have threatened the lives of Pakistanis and Chinese working and living in Pakistan.

"The agreement will help safeguard China's national interest and promote cooperation between the two countries in those areas," he said.

China and Kazakhstan held an anti-terrorism exercise from Aug. 24 to 26 in Kazakhstan's eastern Almaty region and the western Chinese city of Yining in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The drill, codenamed "Tianshan - I (2006)", was conducted by law enforcement bodies and special services from the two countries.

The exercise is a concrete illustration of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) agreement, established in June 2001, to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism. .

Source: Xinhua