- Beijing, Oct 24 (PTI)
Claiming
significant progress in the global war on terrorism, US today announced
the establisment of the first office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) in China to enhance bilateral cooperation in enforcing the rule of
law.
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- The FBI office in China will facilitate cooperation and
coordination of US efforts on counter-terrorism, trans-national crime,
drug trafficking and will help enforce the rule of law, US Atttorney
General
John Ashcroft told reporters before concluding his two-day visit
here.
-
- "The US and China agree that the most important
response to terrorism is that we act together swiftly," he
said.
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- China had, in February, agreed to oblige US' request
to open an FBI office when US President George W Bush met with his Chinese
counterpart Jiang Zemin in Beijing.
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- The FBI office is to be manned by Tony Lau, a 20-year
Chinese-American veteran of the bureau. FBI has more than 40 such offices
world-wide, its website said.
-
- "We feel that we have made real progress in the
war on terrorism and a number of markers are evidence of that
progress,"
Ashcroft said after concluding talks with senior Chinese officials on
enhancing
bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism and trans-national
crimes.
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- "Progress comes as a result of what we have done
to those who perpetrate terror but also how we have reconfigured our
resources
to avoid, disrupt and prevent additional terrorist acts," he
said.
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