Terming terrorism a "cancer" that needed to be removed jointly by world community, China today called for close cooperation between Indian and Chinese security establishments as the two countries for the first time worked out a joint mechanism to combat the menace.
The joint action plan was finalised during the just- concluded visit of Home Minister Rajnath Singh to China.
Commenting on Singh's visit, first by an Indian Home Minister in a decade, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters here that during his meeting with Singh last week Premier Li Keqiang called for close cooperation between law enforcement forces of both the countries to combat terrorism, which has become a menace to the world.
"During the meeting Li pointed out that the world is filled with both conventional and unconventional security threats and the situation is becoming serious," Hong said.
He said law enforcement agencies of the two sides should enhance cooperation to jointly maintain social stability and create favourable conditions for economic development to jointly safeguard world peace and tranquillity.
"Terrorism is a cancer that needs to be removed jointly by the international community," Hong said commenting on Paris and Mali attacks.
Singh winded up his visit today after extensive talks between the two security establishments which have until now remained apart, especially due to China's close ties with Pakistan and Beijing's suspicions over Indo-US relations.
He visited Chinese internal security institutions both in Beijing and Shanghai.
Singh held substantive talks with China's top security officials -- Guo Shengkun, State Councillor of the ruling Communist Party and Public Security Minister; and China's security Czar Meng Jianzhu. Both sides agreed to form a ministerial committee and a joint secretary-level mechanism to periodically meet and review cooperation.
Also, the two home ministries decided to form dedicated channels for continuous communication to exchange intelligence on terrorism and other security-related issues like cross-border crimes and drug trafficking.
The two sides have already completed five rounds of anti-terrorism exercises between them.
Besides coordinating positions on international terrorism, both sides agreed to exchange intelligence on terrorist groups, activities and their links.
The talks also covered India's concerns over China blocking its move to get UN to take action against Pakistan for releasing Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.
New Delhi's move was stuck at UN's Sanctions Committee after China called for more information.
Singh earlier told media here that he raised the issue with his Chinese counterpart and both sides are exchanging information in this regard. India is hopeful China will reconsider its move.
In his interviews to the Chinese media, Mukherjee has said
that "pending the boundary settlement, we seek to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas. Both sides should strive to ensure that the outstanding issues are addressed in a manner that demonstrates mutual sensitivity to each other's concerns, interests and aspiration," he said.
"Only in this manner can we ensure that these differences will not come in the way of continuing development of bilateral relations. We should enhance our mutual trust and understanding through stepped up dialogue on political security and strategic issues," Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.
He also called for zero for tolerance against terrorism.
"India and China--both huge countries-multi-cultural, multi-racial--if they come together in fighting this menace, I am sure it will have its own impact," Mukherjee said.
"And India always believes that every country should have a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and the fight is to be all out," he told the Chinese state run CCTV.
His comments assumed significance in the backdrop of China putting a technical hold on India's move to ban Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Muhammad's leader Maulana Masood Azhar for his alleged role in Pathankot air base attack which has become a major irritant in relations between the two countries.
