Anti-terror campaign launched

Download

China will conduct a one-year nationwide campaign against terrorism after a series of violent and deadly attacks by terrorists and religious extremists.

The Ministry of Public Security announced the decision during a video conference withpolice chiefs around the country on Sunday.

Yang Huanning, executive vice-minister of public security, said the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region would be the main battlefield.

It is urgent to cope with the complicated fight against terrorism and to ensure social stability and national security, he said.

Yang also told police to "suppress the momentum of rising violent terrorism in Xinjiangand stop the spread of violent terrorism and religious extremism to other regions".

The announcement came just one day after the Xinjiang regional government launched a one-year battle against terrorists.

It is also the toughest measure that China has taken to fight terrorism after attackers killed 39 people and injured 94 at a morning marketplace in Urumqi on Thursday.

In Xinjiang, police launched a raid against terrorist suspects on Sunday morning and arrested an unspecified number of suspects.

So far this year, police have detained more than 200 terrorist suspects in 23 groups and found more than 200 explosive devices in Hotan, Kashgar and Aksu prefectures in southern Xinjiang where terrorism and religious extremism are active.

Questions:

1. China will conduct a one year, nationwide campaign against what?

2. Which area will be the main battlefield?

3. How many terrorist suspects have been detained so far this year?

Answers:

1. Terrorism.

2. Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

3. More than 200.

About the broadcaster:

Anne Ruisi is an editor at China Daily online with more than 30 years of experience as a newspaper editor and reporter. She has worked at newspapers in the U.S., including The Birmingham News in Alabama and City Newspaper of Rochester, N.Y.