30 July 2004	Friday	12 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

BEIJING, July 29: China and Pakistan will hold joint military anti-terrorism exercises in China's far-western region of Xinjiang in August, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday.

The exercises would help expand non-traditional security cooperation between the two countries and were aimed at restraining what China has dubbed the "three forces" of separatism, terrorism and religious extremism, Xinhua said.

"The purpose of these exercises is to take a step in strengthening and consolidating the China-Pakistan national and military friendship and cooperation, improve the two countries' joint anti-terror fighting abilities ... and safeguard regional peace and stability," it said.

Beijing has backed the US-led war on terror, and called for international support for its campaign against ethnic Uighur separatists whom it has branded terrorists in the mostly-Muslim Xinjiang region.

Pakistan has also been a major player in the war on terror and has sent thousands of troops to its tribal belt bordering Afghanistan to hunt down militants. Xinjiang borders Afghanistan and Pakistan. -Reuters