The Foreign Ministry has set up a new department to deal with
security issues concerning foreign affairs.
The move was described by a Chinese security expert as an important step to
better co-ordinate the work in this field against the background of
globalization.
The department is expected to deal with such issues as anti-terrorism and
international organized crimes, said Li Wei, an expert on terrorism study with
the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
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Xi Shouzhong, one
of five construction workers injured in a terrorist attack in Afghanistan,
phones his family members on Monday after arriving in Jinan of East
China's Shandong Province. He arrived with three others aboard a Boeing
757 from Chinese Southern Airlines.
[newsphoto]
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Foreign Ministry officials
confirmed the establishment of the new department, but said detailed information
will be released later.
As China moves towards a "going-out" policy, or encouraging Chinese
enterprises to seek business opportunities abroad, more and more Chinese people
are working in foreign countries.
This has prodded the Chinese Government to pay more attention to guaranteeing
the safety of Chinese citizens abroad, said Li.
A series of terrorist attacks on Chinese workers in recent months have proved
the necessity of creating an organization to provide assistance and ensure
effective international co-operation, said Li.
A group of 11 Chinese workers were gunned down while five others injured in
Afghanistan on June 10.
"Personally, I believe that the Afghan incident speeded up the decision to
establish this new department," said Li.
In the past, officials from different departments dealt with such incidents.
The establishment of the new agency is expected to strengthen quick responses.
"However, we could not expect the new department to solve all problems, and
it still needs time to better co-ordinate its functions with other government
departments."
China has already worked effectively with other countries and international
organizations on bilateral and multilateral security.
An Afghan police
officer inspects the scene where Chinese railway workers were gunned down
in their sleep by unknown attackers in Had Bakhshi of northern Afghanistan
June 10, 2004. Eleven Chinese workers died and four were injured. It was
the worst attack on foreigners since the fall of the Taliban regime.
[AFP] |
In the past, the Foreign Ministry put its
emphasis on political and diplomatic affairs in its work.
"In the future, I believe security issues will also be included as one of the
priorities of the ministry," said Li.
Meanwhile, the ministry has also renamed the Department of West European
Affairs as the Department of European Affairs.
As the European Union was expanded last month and joined by some East
European countries, the ministry has decided to make organizational adjustment
to the work with European countries.
