Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya Wednesday deposited to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan the Instrument of Ratification by China of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.

 

The convention shall enter into force for China 30 days after the deposition of the Instrument of Ratification, and shall also apply to China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and its Macao Special Administrative Region.

 

The treaty was adopted in December 1999 by the UN General Assembly and entered into force in April 2002. Aiming at cutting off the financing of terrorism, the convention marks an important action taken by the international community to combat terrorism jointly.

 

The document defines offenses for financing terrorism. To prevent and punish such offenses, all its states parties are required to adopt relevant legislative, judiciary, law-enforcing and financial monitoring measures.

 

It also provides the legal basis for the state parties to exercise jurisdiction over such offenses, and in order to penalize such offenses, the state parties are obligated to cooperate in such areas as extradition and mutual legal assistance on criminal matters.

 

The Standing Committee of the Tenth National People's Congress of China ratified the convention in February. This further illustrates the long-standing position of the Chinese government to resolutely fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, Wang told reporters.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2006)