Terrorism in Central Asia and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China
This paper considers the current terrorist situation in Central Asia and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China, as well as the methods of combating terrorism used by China and the countries of Central Asia. The authors point out that the Central Asian region represents for China the most important element of the “One Belt, One Way” initiative. In this connection, the security of that region is an indispensable condition for the successful implementation of the Chinese authorities plans. The authors draw attention to the fact that China needs to ensure the security of its own borderland adjacent to the Central Asian states. First of all, that relates to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The article notes that the effectiveness of the fight against terrorism in the region under consideration largely depends on international cross-border cooperation, in which Russia and China are involved. The most effective interaction formats are the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The authors conclude that terrorism in Central Asia and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the PRC mainly has ethno-confessional basis and is associated with movements fighting for the independence of certain regions. In turn, the main threat is terrorist organizations operating in the Ferghana Valley region and in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.