*EPF313 06/09/2004
Text: U.S., China Cite Progress in Counterterrorism Campaign
(Joint statement on conclusion of bilateral consultations) (350)

The United States and China issued a joint statement at the conclusion of the fourth in a series of bilateral consultations on counterterrorism, held in Washington June 7.

In a statement released June 8, State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said: "Both sides agreed that very encouraging progress has been made in the fight against terrorism, while recognizing that much remains to be done."

The consultative mechanism was established by the presidents of the two countries in October 2001 on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders meeting in Shanghai.

Following is the text of Boucher's statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
June 8, 2004

STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER, SPOKESMAN

Joint Press Release of the United States of America and the People's Republic of China

Delegations from the United States of America and the People's Republic of China met June 7 in Washington D.C. as part of ongoing bilateral consultations between the two countries on counterterrorism. The two sides discussed a broad range of issues related to international and regional terrorism. Both delegations included representatives of law enforcement, intelligence, military, diplomatic and financial agencies, and were headed by Ambassador Cofer Black, the Department of State's Coordinator for Counter-terrorism, and Li Baodong, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences, the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Both sides shared their experiences and assessments of the ongoing domestic, regional, and international counterterrorism campaign, and discussed next steps in the Global War on Terrorism. Both sides agreed that very encouraging progress has been made in the fight against terrorism, while recognizing that much remains to be done. Ambassador Black conveyed America's appreciation for China's contributions to the war on terror.

This was the fourth U.S.-China interagency counterterrorism consultation after the establishment of such a mechanism was announced by the presidents of both countries in October 2001 at the APEC Summit in Shanghai. The first and third consultations were hosted in Beijing, and the second was hosted in Washington.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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