New Delhi: China today (Oct 20, 2004) said it was ready to cooperate with India in the fight against international terrorism and supported New Delhi's stand that the Kashmir problem should be resolved peacefully through dialogue.

Visiting Chinese State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan told senior editors in New Delhi at an interaction that terrorism has become a common enemy to the whole human kind and his country was opposed to all forms of terrorism.

"There is no exception for China as we are also victims of terrorism. For instance, China's Northwest frontier provinces are linked to al- Qaeda. Some Chinese personnel were killed in Pakistan and Afghanistan only recently.

"We are ready to cooperate with India in the fight against terrorism and deepen our relations. We can do a joint study of the root causes of terrorism and address both the root causes and symptoms of terrorism. We need to study how to root them out," he said.

But, he maintained, the question has not been "properly resolved" because of employment of "double standards" in dealing with the problem.

Replying to a question, he said China had consistently supported the view that the Kashmir problem should be peacefully and properly resolved on the basis of dialogue.

Asked whether China was happy with Pakistan's steps to fight international terrorism, he said during his just- concluded visit to Pakistan, the Government had told him that they attach importance to the issue and assured protection to Chinese personnel there.