China and Kyrgyzstan will hold joint anti-terror military exercises on their border areas focusing on the threat posed by Eastern Turkistan terrorists, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue yesterday.

"There is evidence that the Eastern Turkistan forces have been involved in several international terrorism events," said Zhang at a press conference in Beijing.

"To carry out the UN Charter, as well relevant conventions of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization, this is the first bilateral anti-terrorism military exercise since the founding of the organization."

This military exercise will not only strengthen the mutual trust of the two countries, but also have a significant effect on maintaining peace in the border areas of the two neighbours, said Zhang.

China welcomes and supports the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s recent plan to establish the Siniuju Special Administrative Region (SAR), Zhang said commenting on this economic construction strategy.

The DPRK yesterday appointed the governor of the newly-established Sinuiju SAR, marking the official establishment of the zone.

At a ceremony held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall here on Tuesday afternoon, Yang Bin, President of the Holland Euro-Asia Group, was awarded a certificate of appointment by Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly.

The Sinuiju SAR was set up under a decree issued by the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly on September 12.

Being close neighbours with a tradition of friendship, China and DPRK will strengthen their co-operation to promote, not only the common development of the two nations, but the whole area, Zhang said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 24, 2002)