Beijing: China on Monday appointed a 'tough cop' as its first counter-terrorism Czar to coordinate all security forces involved in the massive crackdown against al-Qaeda backed Uyghur militants in the Muslim-majority Xinjiang province following the deadly Paris attacks.
Liu Yuejin, a key figure in China's crackdown on illegal narcotics has been appointed as the first commissioner of counter-terrorism, state-run China Daily reported.
In China officials heading national security are referred to as Czars as they enjoy enormous powers. His appointment which was expected to drastically change the anti-terrorism strategy in the country with more focused operations to target Uyghur militant groups comes in the back drop of Paris attacks last month that killed 129 people and emergence of Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria.
A number of Uyghur militants who crossed over to Syria from Turkey were found to have been fighting along with IS. Some of those who returned were captured by Chinese police.
Pakistan military too is carrying out periodic operations in its tribal areas where the al-Qaeda backed East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which was blamed for several attacks in Xinjiang and other parts of China, has training bases.
With the image of being a tough cop, Liu, 56 previously an assistant minister of public security, will coordinate the Communist-nation's efforts to prevent terrorist attacks.
He is from the central province of Hunan and coordinated operations with Laos and Myanmar in 2012 to capture drug-lord Naw Kham who was blamed for killing of 13 Chinese.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Public Security declined to give further details on Liu's appointment.
"After Liu's appointment, it's urgent we set up a national intelligence-sharing platform, which will help the authorities to obtain and analyse terrorist-related intelligence, then effectively direct forces such as the police, armed police and
soldiers to stop terrorist plots and target criminal groups," Mei Jianming Director of the college's counter-terrorism research centre at the People's Public Security University of China said.
Liu's appointment follows a series of terror attacks allegedly by ETIM ,including in March last year when an armed gang killed 29 people and injured 143 others in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province.
After the recent attacks in Paris, China has "strengthened patrols and preventive measures across the country to stop similar cases occurring here", the ministry said.
