Dr. Ibrahim Al-Othaimin
On August 2, 2014, the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia said in a speech that “terrorism poses a renewable global threat to the whole world from east to west, and from north to south. It does not distinguish between places, religions, nationalities, colors or races. Therefore, it has to be confronted collectively and internationally”. These words come to mind as the world witnesses the terrorist organization Daesh (the self-proclaimed IS) which has successfully moved from a regional level in Syria, Iraq, Turkey and the Gulf countries to an international level, striking many major countries including France, Russia and the USA.
It is remarkable that China has not yet witnessed any attacks, having refused to take part in any international counterterrorism alliances in the region and also tending to leave regional issues and international crises to the other permanent members of the UN Security Council, viz. United States, Britain, France and Russia. However, Daesh has reached the doorstep of China as some of its Chinese affiliates have clandestinely left to fight for the terrorist organization. In July 2014, Daesh announced its "country map" indicating the area in which it seeks to establish its country in the next five years. This map includes Eastern Turkestan, the area currently known as Xinjiang, in West China, as the organization’s leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi claims they are “seeking to defend Muslims’ violated rights in China, India and Palestine”.
On September 21, 2014, Muir Analytics warned of Daesh’s penetration of the "biome" of China and its presence in surrounding countries including the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. Muir Analytics is a company that provides threat intelligence that helps corporations reduce exposure to severe financial loss from political violence, terrorism, insurgency and such conflicts. It is a CIA “associate” in Virginia, often operating under the parent company for deployment of “information” that serves its operations.
On December 8, 2015, Al-Hayat Media Center, the media arm of Daesh, broadcast a chant on the Internet in Mandarin called “I am a Mujahid” calling on “Chinese Muslim brothers” to join the alleged “army of the Caliphate”. Following this broadcast, the Chinese deputy foreign minister declared that China was uniting with the US and Russia in their efforts to counter terrorism. The Chinese foreign ministry, then, called on the international community to cooperate in the fight against all forms of terrorism and stated that no country can counter terrorism alone in isolation.
Following a visit to the region in July 2014, the Chinese envoy to the Middle East, Wu Si Kai, declared that the number of Chinese citizens who are thought to be involved in terrorism, whether actively or under training, in the Middle East is estimated to be 100, most of whom are members of the East Turkestan Movement. Wu Si Kai explained that “those extremists come from Islamic countries, Europe, North America and China. When they develop radical ideas, they form a great security threat to their countries”.
The Chinese members of Daesh have caused concern for decision makers in China. In his speech during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in September 2014, China's President Xi Jinping stressed the need for the coordination of efforts to confront “three evil forces; terrorism, extremism, and separatism”. Moreover, on December 27, 2015, China adopted the first law of counterterrorism. In spite of the existence of some articles addressing terrorism in numerous resolutions of the Standing Committee of the National Council alongside criminal law, the code of criminal procedures and the law of emergency, China did not previously have a law for counterterrorism.
Thus, all countries have a clear interest in unifying efforts and institutionalized cooperation through countering, encirclement and cutting the sources of funding to all forms of terrorism and extremism. There must be a genuine will and seriousness from all countries to counter this eminent danger that has become a cancer, growing and posing a serious threat to world peace and stability. International silence will “breed a generation that only believes in violence and rejects any opportunity for peace, cloaked in mottoes of 'clash of civilizations' instead of 'dialogue of civilizations'".
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Othaimin is a Middle East affairs specialist and security analyst based in Riyadh. He can be contacted at Ibrahim.othaimin@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @Alothaimin
