UN should play greater role in counter-terrorism: envoy

The United Nations should play a greater role in counter-terrorism and promoting closer cooperation of the international community on the battle, a Chinese envoy to the UN said at the UN headquarters on Wednesday.

"On the question of counter-terrorism, the UN should advertise a clear-cut criterion and oppose double standards in promoting the international community to enhance cooperation against terrorism in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN charter and other international norms," said Wang Min, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, at a UN Security Council meeting.

"Terrorism is the common enemy of human kind," he said, stressing that the international community, in the face of terrorism, separatism and extremism, must adopt a zero-tolerance attitude and must firmly oppose to them and counter them.

China is against linking terrorism with any specific country, group or religion, and stands for enhanced dialogues among civilizations and the elimination of the breeding ground of terrorism through different means, Wang noted.

China believes that currently terrorist groups and terrorists are resorting to information and new technologies including Internet incitement, recruitment and financing, he said, adding that the international community should be highly vigilant about this and find proper solution.

Wang pointed out that the East Turkistan terrorist forces led by the East Turkistan Islamic Movement are the most serious threat to China's national security. "The Chinese government will continue to take resolute actions against these terrorists and we have the determination, the confidence and the capability to fight them. These terrorists will never succeed, regardless of the purposes of those terrorist attacks."

China will actively participate in international cooperation against terrorism within the framework of the United Nations and its Security Council, Wang said.