China to assist Kyrgyzstan with embassy attack investigation

BEIJING – China says it will assist Kyrgyzstan in apprehending those behind last week’s attack on the Chinese Embassy in Bishkek blamed on members of a group seeking independence for China’s far western region of Xinjiang.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Wednesday that Beijing has been providing help to its Central Asian neighbour throughout the investigation into the Aug. 30 incident, which killed the bomber and injured three embassy employees.

Kyrgyz authorities identified the attacker as a member of the Turkic Muslim Uighur (WEE-gur) minority group native to Xinjiang. It said he was a member of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, acting on the orders of Uighur militants in Syria linked to the al-Nusra Front, which has ties to al-Qaida.

Hua said China would further boost international anti-terror co-operation.