THE U.N. has added a separatist militant group in China into its sanction list of organizations and individuals whose assets are to be frozen for terrorist acts.

　　China yesterday welcome the United Nations Security Council's classification of the "East Turkistan Independence Movement (ETIM)" as a terrorist organization.

　　Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said this was "a positive result of the anti-terrorist cooperation between China, the United States and related countries."

　　Kong told a press conference that China, the United States, Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan had submitted material about ETIM to the U.N. Security Council, which made the listing Wednesday.

　　Kong said the ETIM had been responsible for "a great deal of violent and terrorist incidents" in China and that it constituted a grave threat to regional security and stability.

　　China has said 162 people had been killed and more than 440 injured since 1990 by ETIM militants who are seeking a separate state called "East Turkistan" in its northwest region of Xinjiang.

　　Two weeks ago, the United States said it had information that ETIM had ties to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida group and was plotting an attack against the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

　　The U.N. has listed more than 250 groups, businesses and individuals as terrorist units whose assets will be frozen internationally.

　　(SD-Agencies)