China has named Liu Yuejin, a prominent figure in the country's fight against illegal nacrotics, as its first commissioner of counterterrorism.
The announcement made on Sunday handed over Liu the task of coordinating China's efforts to prevent terrorist attacks. The 56-year-old is previously an assistant minister of public security.
According to a China Daily report, a Ministry of Public Security spokesman declined to further give details about Liu's appointment.
Meanwhile, Mei Jianming, director of People's Public Security University of China's counterterrorism research center, welcomed the move, saying that the next urgent step is to establish a national intelligence-sharing platform.
According to Mei, this platform "will help the authorities obtain and analyze terrorist-related intelligence, [and] effectively direct forces such as the police, armed police and soldiers to stop terrorist plots and target criminal groups."
Liu has been involved in operations against illegal drug trade since the 1980s. In earlier interviews, he called himself a "grassroots police officer."
Hailing from the central province of Hunan, he has also served as the director of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force Academy, director of the Public Security Ministry's General Affairs Office, and deputy director of Tianjin's public security.
Liu's appointment comes after a series of terror attacks across China in recent years.
The public security ministry also called for stronger campaign against terrorism following the attacks in Paris, which left 129 dead and hundreds injured. It said that China has "strengthened patrols and preventive measures across the country to stop similar cases occurring here."