Does it show terrorism in the border areas between China and Central Asian countries is on the rise?
Your question has many aspects. The Chinese side has for several times expounded its position on counter terrorism. Terrorism should be firmly condemned and fought against no matter when and where it happens, who is targeted and who commits it. The East Turkistan terrorist group has perpetrated quite a number of terrorist activities for which we have hard evidence. Yet this does not necessarily mean that recently terrorism is on the rise. In the wake of the September 11 incident, counter terrorism has become the priority for many countries. China has intensified international anti-terrorism cooperation with relevant countries. The upcoming joint military exercise between China and Kyrgyzstan you mentioned is against this general backdrop. It is the first bilateral anti-terrorism joint military exercise within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and also a concrete step to implement the Charter of Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Shanghai Convention on Fight against Terrorism
