Several armed police units are working with Beijing's universities to establish expert training programs in anti-terror negotiation.

In response to a number of situations involving Chinese hostages in recent years, a pool of officers will be fully trained in the psychology and communication skills involved in dealing with terrorists effectively.

Gao Feng, China's No.1 negotiation expert and professor at Beijing People's Police College, is formulating the theoretical basis for the course.

He said, "Anti-terror negotiation is 10 times more difficult than that for normal criminal kidnappings."

According to Gao, because terrorists are ideologically motivated, and most terrorists won't release hostages unless their objectives are met, in over 80 percent of anti-terror negotiations agreement cannot be made with them.

This means that rescuing hostages by force is more likely to be involved, in which case the most important function of negotiation is to buy time to prepare for action by prolonging dialogue. Generally speaking, at least four to six hours are required to prepare a rescue intervention, Gao added.
 
The professor stressed that, as with normal criminal kidnappings, the priority is saving hostages' lives, especially when large numbers of hostages are taken.

The training being planned won't be conducted at the universities themselves; university lecturers will instead visit police facilities.

The aim will be for a sufficient number of expertly trained negotiators to be available to go into action whenever a terrorist hostage situation takes place.

Recent Chinese hostage crises

On April 10, 2004, seven Chinese from Fujian Province were kidnapped by terrorists in Iraq. With the help of the local Association of Islamic Clerics, all were returned safely.

On October 9, 2004, two Chinese engineers were taken hostage by terrorists in Pakistan. On October 14, the Pakistan government intervened to rescue them by force, during which attempt one engineer was killed.

On January 18, 2005, eight Chinese, again from Fujian Province, were kidnapped by terrorists in Iraq. On January 22, they were all released safely.

(China.org.cn by Wang Sining March 1, 2005)