China calls for joint efforts to combat terrorism

The international community should strengthen solidarity and join hands in fighting terrorism, a senior Chinese diplomat said.

The lessons of the boomerang effect are still fresh in memory, and must be learned by heart, Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao said on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the Second International Seminar on Counterterrorism in Beijing.

Noting the year 2021 has witnessed the resurgence of international terrorist activities, Wu said a few countries have turned counterterrorism into a political tool, making groundless accusations against the legitimate counterterrorism and deradicalization measures taken by the international community. "They have even exploited terrorist forces to advance their own geopolitical interests, which will only fuel the resurgence of terrorism."

Wu noted that this year, the situation in Afghanistan has drastically changed. Terrorist groups including ISIS, Al-Qaeda and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) have been using the chaos in the region to expand their presence and stir up troubles.

"Out of their own political interests, certain countries have attempted to clean the name of ETIM, a terrorist organization listed by the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council," Wu said. "It is hoped that all countries will fully recognize the violent and terrorist nature of ETIM, and work with China to resolutely crack down on the group.

China calls on the international community to foster the awareness of a community with a shared future, to underscore the central role played by the UN, to strengthen capacity building in developing countries, to follow the principle of addressing both symptoms and root causes, and to tackle new terrorist threats and ideologies, Wu said.

In the seminar, the participants agreed that terrorism is the common enemy of all mankind and a major threat to world peace and security. China has made positive achievements in counterterrorism and deradicalization. The international community should deepen international counterterrorism cooperation and join hands to win a final victory in the global counterterrorism cause.

The global counterterrorism situation has become increasingly complex, said Nabeel Munir, additional secretary of the Pakistani foreign ministry, noting that certain countries are wantonly interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, and even attempting to overthrow governments, under the pretext of counterterrorism, and the fight against terrorism has become a cover for certain countries to seek their own political gains.

Ali Nuaimi, chairman of the Hedayah Centre (the International Center for Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism), said that terrorism is not a challenge faced by a country or a region, but a common threat faced by all people. It is only when all parties reach a consensus, strengthen unity and coordinate actions that they can prevail over terrorism.

"Terrorists are against all humanity, so we should avoid divisions and politicization in the anti-terrorism camps," Ali Nuaimi said, adding that it is necessary to support governments' efforts in promoting their own economic and social development, and prevent the power vacuum caused by foreign intervention, which opens opportunities for terrorists.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Syromolotov Oleg Vladimirovich said that terrorism is a major threat to peace and security. "We highly appreciate the close partnership between Russia and China, and are ready to jointly carry out anti-terrorism activities under the UN framework and step up anti-terrorism efforts under multilateral mechanisms such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization."

This seminar is hosted by the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations and co-organized by the China Institutes of International Studies.

Officials, heads of anti-terrorism agencies, experts and scholars from 17 countries including Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Pakistan and Afghanistan attended the conference via video.