China, India to enhance efforts against terrorism

China and India will enhance law enforcement cooperation to fight cross-border terrorist attacks amid increasing threats to the region, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

The agreement was reached at the first China-India-Dialogue on Counterterrorism and Security held in Beijing on Tuesday.

During the conference, China and India expressed their concerns and exchanged views on combating terrorist attacks and conducting extensive security cooperation. They also reached consensus on practical measures to cope with the threat.

Establishing a China-India counterterrorism dialogue mechanism will play an essential role in “enhancing their mutual trust and deepening pragmatic judicial cooperation to fight terror attacks, and in maintaining regional security and stability”, said Lan Jianxue, a researcher at the China Institute of International Studies.

Under such a complex security situation, it’s urgent for the two countries to “seize a rare opportunity to create a special dialogue, which will eliminate previous suspicions and guide them to implement their counterterrorism action plans”, Lan said.

Last November, China and India issued a joint statement to strengthen their judicial cooperation to handle terrorist crimes.

Although some achievements have been made, challenges still hinder progress in deepening judicial cooperation, observers say.

“It’s necessary for us reach a consensus on terrorism’s definition and scope, and on conviction standards,” said Su Qiang, a Beijing-based lawyer who specializes in researching regional security in South Asia and the Middle East.