Just a week after the United States marked the 15th anniversary of the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, it again found itself in the shadow of terrorism.
A bomb explosion in New York City that injured 29 people on Saturday, a stabbing attack at a Minnesota shopping mall that left nine wounded, and an earlier blast in suburban New Jersey sent shock waves across the country. Although investigations into the attacks and the attackers' motives are still under way, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called the Manhattan blast "an act of terrorism", while the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the Minnesota attack.
All these point to the harsh reality that the U.S. is not safer than it was 15 years ago despite its "war on terror". From Boston to San Bernardino to Orlando, homegrown terrorists have carried out deadly attacks one after another. This is fast changing the way of life for Americans as well as how they see themselves and others.
What is happening in the U.S. is actually part of the larger global picture, a land haunted by the specter of terrorism. From Kabul, Karachi and Istanbul to Madrid, London, Paris and Brussels, terrorists have spread fear by targeting innocent people through every despicable means possible, and they will continue to do so. Terrorism today is a major factor threatening durable peace and stability in the world.
A global united front is needed to defeat terrorism.
China has been a victim of terrorism, as evidenced by the March 2014 Kunming terrorist attack in which 31 people were killed, and the Aug 30 suicide bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, instigated by Uygur groups active in Syria. These attacks show the terrorist threat China faces is not less than any other country, and there is enough room for Beijing and Washington to cooperate in the global fight against terrorism.
Double standard on terrorism will not only harm bilateral relations, it will also hinder the formation of a global alliance against terrorism, which will do neither side any good.
The causes of terrorism are complicated, but many agree abject poverty is a major factor. With nearly half of the world's population still living on less than $2 a day, the fight against terrorism will continue for long.
In this respect, China, which has lifted 600 million people out of poverty over the past three decades, has a lot to offer to the world.
