Beijing tests anti-terror measures

Police inspection checks procedures for APEC summit

Beijing police will launch an eight-week inspection of anti-terror precautionary work to guarantee security for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held in Beijing in November.

The massive check of countermeasures includes management of hazardous materials, anti-terror training and publicity, and public vigilance to eliminate hidden perils, Beijing police said on Saturday.

Along with the inspection, the municipal police will also launch more anti-terror drills in bustling downtown areas without giving advance notice. It organized such drills in April and May.

Police conducted their ninth anti-terror drill on Friday night in 14 crowded areas, including the Beijing Railway Station and the Wangfujing and Xidan business centers. One scenario set in Xidan required rushing to the scene within one minute to subdue two suspects and another knife-wielding kidnapper wearing explosives.

The examination and drills are to test anti-terror plans and improve anti-terror reactions, according to the police.

A terror attack near Beijing's Tian'anmen Square in October of last year shocked the country and the world. On Oct 28, three culprits surnamed Hasan, Gheni and Reyim drove a jeep into crowds near Tian'anmen Square, killing three people and injuring 39 others. The three suspects died at the scene.

A yearlong crackdown on terrorism was launched in China with Xinjiang as the major battleground after a terrorist attack on May 22 in an open market in the regional capital of Urumqi. The attack, the deadliest in recent years in the region, left 39 people dead and 94 injured.

With the theme of "Shaping the Future through Asia-Pacific Partnership", the 22nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will be held on Nov 10 and 11. It is Beijing's most important event since the 2008 Olympic Games. The main venue for the meeting will be in the suburban district of Huairou.

(China Daily 09/01/2014 page5)