China is intensifying work on drafting a counterterrorism law, a Chinese law expert said in Beijing on Wednesday.

Zhao Bingzhi, a member of the drafting team, said a draft of the law is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

"China firmly opposes terrorism and stands at the forefront of the battle to fight terrorism in cooperation with the international community," said Zhao, deputy dean of the law school of the prestigious People's University of China.

Zhao said China is party to most of the international counterterrorism treaties and, shortly after the terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the United States on September 11, 2001, made amendments to its criminal law to beef up counterterrorism provisions.

"As economic globalization gathers speed, transnational crime has become a bigger problem. Such crimes pose a serious threat to peace and security in the international community and for all of humankind," Zhao said.

Zhao said the counterterrorism measures of the international community remain inadequate despite the adoption of 12 international treaties.

Some issues in fighting international terrorism, including criteria for what constitutes an act of terror, counterterrorism measures, protection of human rights and international cooperation, still need to be discussed by the international community, Zhao added.

Some 1,400 Chinese and foreign law experts will discuss these issues and others at the 22nd Congress on the Law of the World, to be held in Beijing and Shanghai from September 3 to 10.

(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2005)