Terrorism in China

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Terrorism in China refers to the use of terrorism to cause a political or ideological change in the People's Republic of China.[1][2] The definition of terrorism differs among scholars, between international and national bodies and across time and there is no legally binding definition internationally.[3][4] In the cultural setting of China, the term is relatively new and ambiguous.[5]

The government of the People's Republic of China identifies terrorism as one of the "Three Evils". These forces are seen by Beijing as inter-connected threats to social stability and national security. In particular, terrorism is viewed as a violent manifestation of ethnic separatism, and separatism is understood as a corollary of religious zealotry.[6] The government has embarked on strike-hard campaigns to suppress these tendencies, particularly in the Xinjiang and Tibetan regions.[6]

Since the September 11 attacks in 2001, the PRC has strengthened its involvement in multilateral and bilateral counter-terrorism efforts. As a result of these efforts, several Uyghur separatist movements have been labelled as terrorist groups by the United Nations and U.S. Department of State.[7] There have been allegations that the Chinese government has been applying charges of terrorism in an inconsistent and sometimes politically motivated manner.[8] These allegations represent one of the contributing factors that play into the existing tensions between the Chinese Communist party and the Uyghur minority.

On January 23, 2024, the Information Office of the State Council released a white paper on "China's Counter-Terrorism Legal System and Practice," which emphasized that China is a victim of terrorism and faces the threat of terrorism.[9] Subsequently, on January 24, the People's Daily published an opinion piece demanding that anti-terrorism work must be carried out on the track of the rule of law.[10]

  1. ^ John Philip Jenkins (ed.). "Terrorism". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2006.
  2. ^ "Terrorism". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th ed.). Bartleby.com. 2000. Archived from the original on 20 June 2006. Retrieved 11 August 2006.
  3. ^ Angus Martyn, The Right of Self-Defence under International Law-the Response to the Terrorist Attacks of 11 September Archived 29 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Australian Law and Bills Digest Group, Parliament of Australia Web Site, 12 February 2002.
  4. ^ Thalif Deen. POLITICS: U.N. Member States Struggle to Define Terrorism Archived 11 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine , Inter Press Service, 25 July 2005.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Eterno was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Chung Chien-peng. "Confronting Terrorism and Other Evils in China: All Quiet on the Western Front?. In China and Eurasia Forum Quarterly, Volume 4 Issue 2, pp 75–87. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  7. ^ "U.S. Forces Strike Taliban, East Turkestan Islamic Movement Training Sites". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wayne was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "国务院新闻办公室发布《中国的反恐怖主义法律制度体系与实践》白皮书". 人民日报 (in Chinese (China)). 24 January 2024. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  10. ^ "确保反恐怖主义工作在法治轨道上运行". 人民日报 (in Chinese (China)). 24 January 2024. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024.