China's Ministry of Public Security has appointed Liu Yuejin, a former anti-illegal drugs chief, as the country's first commissioner of counterterrorism.

The announcement was made Sunday by the Ministry although it refused to give more details on Liu's appointment.

Liu, 56, was the nemesis of drug lords during his tenure, conducting drug raids and netting the most notorious drug figures and successfully having them prosecuted.

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As the country's first chief of counterterrorism, one of his most important tasks is to coordinate the efforts of all government agencies and the citizenry to prevent and fight terror attacks.

Liu was the former assistant minister of the Ministry of Public Security before he assumed his new position.

Mei Jianming, director of the People's Public Security University of China counterterrorism research center, welcomed the development.

"After Liu's appointment, it's urgent we set up a national intelligence-sharing platform, which will help the authorities to obtain and analyze terrorist-related intelligence, then effectively direct forces such as the police, armed police and soldiers to stop terrorist plots and target criminal groups," he said.

The appointment came following the recent terror attacks in Paris that killed 130  people and injured hundreds.

China, since then, has strengthened its patrols and worked with the proper government agencies to prevent a repeat of the Paris incident happening in the country.

Liu's appointment also carries with it the challenge of neutralizing domestic terrorists who have conducted attacks across the country in recent years, killing hundreds of people.

Last year, the government conducted a major crackdown on domestic terrorists, capturing several suspects from China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region who were barred from leaving the country to attend terrorism training abroad and join the ISIS.

Before his new position, Liu had been on top of the country's anti-illegal drugs trade since 1980.

Liu also held the positions of  deputy director of public security for Tianjin, director of the Public Security Ministry's General Affairs Office and director of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force Academy.

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