China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on Tuesday said it would enhance international cooperation against crimes committed by terrorists and terrorist organizations.

MPS spokesman Wu Heping was speaking after police destroyed an East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) terrorist camp in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region recently, killing 18 terrorists, capturing 17 and seizing weapons and ammunition.

Wu said, "The Chinese government opposes all terrorist activities."

China's battle against terrorism included prevention, attacking terrorists if necessary, and enhancing international cooperation, he said.

ETIM was listed by the United Nations as a terrorist organization on Sept. 11, 2002, and was included in a list of "East Turkistan" terrorist organizations issued by the Ministry of Public Security on Dec. 15, 2003.

Other identified "East Turkistan" terrorist organizations are the East Turkistan Liberation Organization (ETLO), the World Uygur Youth Congress (WUYC) and the East Turkistan Information Center (ETIC).

Wu said the government had a legal basis for identifying terrorists and terrorist organizations, including the Criminal Law, the Third Amendment to Criminal Law, the State Security Law and Rules for implementation of the State Security Law, the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism, as well as 11 international conventions adopted by the UN and signed by China and a series of anti-terrorism agreements adopted by the UN Security Council.

The ETIM terrorist case in Xinjiang is under investigation, Wu said.

Source: Xinhua