India & China agree to share intelligence to combat terror

Guwahati: In what may have a cascading effect on the insurgency scenario in the Northeast region, India and China have signed an agreement to share real-time intelligence to combat terrorism jointly.

Home ministry security sources told this newspaper the two sides had agreed to continue a dialogue on their differences over some key bilateral issues, while the formal agreement has operationalised a mechanism to combat terrorist activities. Joint Intelligence Committee chairman R.N. Ravi, who was involved in working out the pact, said: “India and China have differences on several fronts, but both are aware that no country can survive without cooperation on issues of common interest.”

The sources said China was apprised of the presence of elusive Ulfa(I) chief Paresh Baruah in its frontier province, while China had sought India’s help to identify the terrorist leaders holed up in that country, and added that they expect some action soon. China has also reiterated its commitment not to allow any terrorist activities from its soil. The sources said while India had strongly opposed China’s construction of a corridor through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, such contentious issues would not come in the way of cooperation on the terrorism front.