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China set to ratify extradition treaty with Turkey, Chinese legislator says
- Deal signed in 2017 but yet to receive parliamentary approval is seen by Beijing as central to its counterterrorism efforts, expert says
- China’s foreign affairs vice-minister has lashed out at East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which Beijing blames for violent attacks in Xinjiang and elsewhere
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China is set to ratify an extradition treaty with Turkey, home to one of the largest Uygur diasporas, in a move experts say is focused on counterterrorism cooperation.
Zhang Yesui, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress, reported on the progress of discussions on Wednesday at the ongoing session of the lawmaking body, which ends on Saturday.
The treaty has yet to be ratified by either side, but past practice suggests China will do so within days of Zhang’s report.
Li Wei, a counterterrorism expert at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations in Beijing, said: “Counterterrorism will be an important part of the treaty, as both countries have faced threats from terrorism for a long time.”
But it was unlikely the agreement would include clauses that singled out any specific organisation or group of people, he said.
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