China's National People's Congress (NPC) Tuesday voted unanimously in favor of ratifying the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, aiming to check terror funding.

 

The convention was ratified at the 20th session of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress, which concluded in Beijing on Tuesday.

 

Chinese diplomats said the approval of the convention accords with China's actual needs, as it is expected to effectively stem funds supplied by overseas anti-Chinese forces to China's domestic terrorists.

 

Official figures showed that terrorists, separatists and extremists in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region hatched more than 260 terror plots over the past decade, killing over 160 people and injuring 440 others.

 

The ratification demonstrates China's resolution to fight against terrorism and showcase the country as a responsible country in international society, said a senior official of Chinese foreign ministry.

 

The official said the convention would not affect China's financial security, because the application of financial supervision measures is based on the domestic law of every signatory country.

 

The convention, consisting of 28 provisions and one appendix, spells out the definition of "terrorism financing crimes" and urges all the signatory countries to prevent and fight against the crimes through legislative, judicial and financial supervision measures.

 

The convention gives signatory countries the power to charge those who are involved in terrorism financing. It also regulates the international cooperation on launching repatriation and criminal judicial assistance among signatory countries and regulates the methods for dealing with disputes among signatory countries.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2006)