China faces a terrible dilemna; one that much of the world faces too.

China has been hit with several acts of ‘terrorism’ of late, the latest being the attack on a market where many died. It has been obvious for many years that there is tension in the far west of China and that an ethnic/Islamic group is trying to either maintain some sort of independence or outright nationhood. This tension has increased as many more Han’ Chinese move into the area; one in which oil abounds. The inhabitants of the region are now in the minority and the tensions have led to a response that we have seen in much of the world where Islam runs up against state authority. In their defence the Chinese have pointed out that they have poured resources not the area to bring about economic growth and in infrastructure. The Chinese Government is very nervous about the possibilities within China as a whole, because of the ramifications it knows it now faces re terrorism’ within its borders.

That’s the nature of the world now; one in which the major powers are showing little cohesion in facing this world-wide threat. Of course there is always a precedent, going beyond religion for most the terrorist flashpoint in the world, namely fed by people who have been marginalised either from the democratic process or lack of access to resources.

In China’s case the warnings have been there for a long time and now that the USA and NATO are pulling back in Afghanistan, we can expect more focus to go on other regions. Hopefully, China will join the struggle to contain or address ‘terrorism’ and the issues that feed it.