The pattern of terrorist activities in China has changed since 2013. From the Tian'anmen attack in Beijing on October 28, 2013 to the attack at the Kunming railway station in March 2014, terrorist activities have been escalating and spilling over into other regions. Terrorist attacks are increasingly aimed at "soft targets," which have had a shock effect on Chinese citizens.
After the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US, China and the US stepped up communication and cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Communication channels and security mechanisms were established, indicative that anti-terrorism had become an important issue for bilateral relations. But after US President Obama came into office, the US began to scale down its war on terror and began implementing a "pivot to Asia" strategy. Differences and disputes between China and the US increasingly emerged, with China criticizing the US' double standards over terrorism - as the US government has been slow or reluctant to condemn terrorist activities in China - and the US accusing China of not being transparent in its terrorism investigations. Although the two countries continue to cooperate on anti-terror issues, it is not as constructive and fruitful as before.
Although China and US still have differences on the issue, now that both face a growing threat from terrorism, the two countries share more common interests and are more willing to work together to combat terrorism. And as major world powers, they have the responsibility to tackle global terrorism.
Therefore, there is great potential for China and the US to deepen their anti-terror cooperation.
China's key concern in its anti-terrorism endeavors is fighting the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) to ensure stability and development in northwest China. The US has expressed understanding about China's concerns and responded positively about cooperating on the issue. This July, the first round of a vice-ministerial level dialogue on anti-terrorism was held in Washington, and Obama said, "counterterrorism is an area where our two nations could strengthen our cooperation" in an interview with Xinhua News Agency on Nov 10, 2014.
As the terrorist threat continues to rise, China and the US should strengthen cooperation on the urgent issues related to terrorism.
First, the flow of foreign fighters to Middle East, tens of thousands of foreigners from all parts of the world have fled to Iraq and Syria to fight under the banner of terrorist groups such as IS and the al-Nusra Front. Some of them are returning to their home countries and plan to carry out attacks. The threat from foreign fighters is becoming more and more serious. China and the US and other related countries should share intelligence and work closely together to deal with this problem.
Second is cracking down on cyberterrorism. The Internet is widely used by terrorist groups to spread extremist ideology, plan attacks, raise funds and keep in contact. Most of the attacks in China and the US are linked to the Internet. And most terrorists are usually brainwashed by reading online magazines or watching videos released by terror groups.
Lastly, China and the US can cooperate in South Asia, Africa, and other regions to help local countries better combat terrorism. Especially in Afghanistan, China plans to play a bigger role when the US withdraws most of its troops.
The author is assistant professor at the Institute of Security and Arms Control Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. Courtesy: chinausfocus.com
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