HONG KONG, Feb. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- China will soon to be a full member of the Financial Action Task on Money Laundering (FATF), president of FATF said here Wednesday.

    Speaking at an international conference entitled "Creating Global Partnership and Synergy in the Fight Against Money Laundering", Jean-Louis Fort, president of the FATF, said China is between the second and third stage of becoming a full member of the organization.

    "As long as an agreement between the FATF and Chinese authority is reached and the result of mutual evaluation is considered good, I am sure the day for China to gain the full membership of FATF will come very soon," Fort said.

    FATF is an inter-governmental body formed in 1989. It sets international standards and develops and promotes policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. It currently has 31 countries/territories, two international organizations and more than 20 observers including China.

    FATF expects China, as well as India, to become a full member of FATF because of its geographic significance, Fort said.

    India's relevant ministers have kept close liaison with FATF and repeatedly expressed their desire of joining the organization, Fort said.

    "I believe India will also be a full member of FATF soon after China," Fort added.

    Hong Kong has been a member of FATF since 1990 and is actively involved in its anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing activities. Enditem