US embassy cable - 00BEIJING11790

UNCLAS BEIJING 011790 
 
S/CT FOR REAP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, CH 
SUBJECT: CHINA:  2000 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF: STATE 217248 
 
1.  BELOW IS THE 2000 TERRORISM REPORT FOR CHINA. 
RESPONSES ARE KEYED TO REFTEL PARAGRAPH THREE 
REQUIREMENTS. 
 
2.  A)  THERE WERE NO ACTS OF TERRORISM COMMITTED 
AGAINST U.S. CITIZENS OR INTERESTS IN CHINA THIS YEAR. 
CHINESE MAINLAND AND HONG KONG MEDIA OCCASIONALLY REPORT 
ACTS OF TERRORISM BY INDEPENDENCE ACTIVISTS IN CHINA'S 
WESTERN PROVINCE OF XINJIANG AND, LESS FREQUENTLY, IN 
THE TIBET AUTONOMOUS REGION.  PUBLICLY, THE PRC TENDS TO 
DOWNPLAY THESE INCIDENTS AS THE ISOLATED ACTIONS OF A 
NEGLIBLE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, OR ATTRIBUTES THEM TO 
AMORPHOUS "FOREIGN FORCES BENT ON UNDERMINING CHINA." 
PRESS REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE JUDICIAL RESPONSE TO 
THESE TERRORISTS IS HARSH, RANGING FROM LENGTHY PRISON 
SENTENCES TO EXECUTION. 
 
B,C)  THERE IS NO EXTRADITION TREATY IN FORCE BETWEEN 
THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA.  IN JUNE, 2000, THE U.S. 
AND PRC SIGNED A MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT THAT 
WOULD ALLOW FOR ENHANCED COOPERATION IN THE APPREHENSION 
AND PROSECUTION OF CRIMINALS; CHINA, HOWEVER, HAS NOT 
TAKEN THE STEPS NECESSARY TO PUT THE AGREEMENT INTO 
FORCE. 
 
IN AUGUST, CHINA SUCCESSFULLY OBTAINED FROM KAZAKHSTAN 
THE EXTRADITION OF TWO ETHNIC UIGHUR SEPARATISTS WHO 
WERE CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL TRANSPORTATION OF WEAPONS. 
 
D)  THE PRC GOVERNMENT DOES NOT SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL 
TERRORISM, TERRORISTS, OR TERRORIST GROUPS, AND HAS 
REPEATEDLY VOICED ITS OPPOSITION TO TERRORISM IN PUBLIC 
FORA.  WHEN ASKED, GOVERNMENT SPOKESMEN CONSISTENTLY 
VOICE CONCERN ABOUT, OR OPPOSITION TO, ACTS OF TERRORISM 
IN OTHER COUNTRIES. 
 
E)  ALONG WITH RUSSIA AND SEVERAL CENTRAL ASIAN 
COUNTRIES, CHINA IS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE 
SHANGHAI FORUM, WHICH ATTEMPTS TO PROMOTE 
COUNTERTERRORISM COOPERATION IN CENTRAL ASIA.  CHINA 
ALSO DISCUSSES COUNTERTERRORISM COOPERATION IN BILATERAL 
DIPLOMATIC DISCUSSIONS. 
 
F)  ALTHOUGH CHINA DOES NOT SUPPORT TERRORISM, 
TERRORISTS, OR TERRORIST GROUPS, IT DOES MAINTAIN 
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ALL THOSE COUNTRIES DESIGNATED 
BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE AS STATE SPONSORS OF 
TERRORISM. 
 
G)  CHINA HAS NOT MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT 
OF A TERRORIST-SUPPORTING COUNTRY ON A TERRORISM ISSUE. 
 
H)  THERE HAVE BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES SINCE 1999 IN 
CHINA'S ATTITUDE TOWARD TERRORISM. 
 
I)  THE UNITED STATES HAS NO COUNTERTERRORISM 
INITIATIVES WITH CHINA. 
 
J)  N/A 
 
K)  N/A 
 
MARINE