ASEAN tie-up can help fight terrorism

China has called for intensified intelligence sharing with ASEAN countries, as a rising number of Chinese terrorism suspects are traveling to the Middle East through Southeast Asia.

Chinese police will enhance law enforcement cooperation with their counterparts in ASEAN countries on counterterrorism, particularly in intelligence exchanges and joint investigation of individual cases, Li Wei, vice-minister of public security, said on Friday.

With their help, China hopes to get a clear picture of the number and scale of the activities of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement - a separatist and terrorist organization - in ASEAN countries and bring suspects back to China, Li said at a two-day China-ASEAN Ministerial Dialogue on Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation that started on Friday in Beijing.