China, Russia, C Asia move on pact
BEIJING, China -- China, Russia and four central Asian nations meeting in Beijing have agreed to move ahead on plans to set up a regional anti-terror center.
At a summit in China on Tuesday the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization said they would open an anti-terrorism office in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.
The move came after prime ministers from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan held talks at a summit of the 7-year-old Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
China's official news agency, Xinhua, reported Beijing has also been pushing for the creation of a regional free-trade zone between members.
China, the main sponsor, is focusing on the strategically important and oil- and gas-rich region.
But the grouping was also formed to bolster security along China's border with Central Asia and act as a counterweight to U.S. influence in the region.
Although Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan now host U.S. forces, the organization has provided a framework for cooperation against groups Beijing labels as terrorists, extremists and separatists.
This includes Islamic Uighur separatists fighting for an independent homeland in China's western region of Xinjiang.
Troops or observers from the five member nations joined in military exercises last month.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
