BEIJING -- China's top legislature on Saturday adopted a decision to ratify the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Convention on Countering Extremism.

The decision also contains a declaration that the convention shall not apply to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region until the Chinese government decides otherwise.

Signed on June 9, 2017, the convention aims to strengthen security of all the SCO member states, increase the effectiveness of cooperation between their competent bodies and improve the legal framework in this sphere, according to a press release issued by the SCO.