Anti-terror fight should follow UN rules: Chinese envoy

Counter-terrorism campaign should follow the United Nations Charter and international law, and no double standards should be adopted, China's new special envoy on Middle East Gong Xiaosheng said on Thursday.

Steps going beyond the Charter could easily introduce controversy and create severe consequences, Gong told reporters in Beijing.

Gong's remarks echoed with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who said at a UN Security Council summit on terrorism on Wednesday, that the UN and its Security Council should play a leading role in the global war on terrorism.

Their remarks also came shortly after the Security Council adopted a resolution to address the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters.

Unanimously approved by the 15-nation body at a special session of the Council, the document urges all member states to "cooperate in efforts to address the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters, including by preventing the radicalization to terrorism and recruitment of foreign terrorist fighters."

Gong, the fourth Chinese Middle East envoy, said the Middle East is facing direct and severe threat of terrorism, and it is unfair to link terrorism with any specific region or religion.

After replacing his predecessor Wu Sike, Gong just concluded his first visit in this post, which took him to Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt.

He called for the international community to pay more attention to Middle East's stance, saying all the five countries he had visited expressed concern over terrorism.

On Wednesday, Wang voiced China's support for Iraq in its efforts to enhance its counter-terrorism capacity-building, saying China stands ready to strengthen cooperation with various parties in intelligence sharing and personnel training.

According to the foreign minister, China will also provide more emergency humanitarian assistance to Iraq, including its Kurdish region.

Contact the writer at zhaoshengnan@chinadaily.com.cn and chijun@chinadaily.com.cn