Ethnic Identity and National Conflict in China

With links to the global jihad, the indigenous insurgency and terrorism in Xinjiang challenges the security and stability of China. This book examines the prevailing scholarship on ethnic and minority conflicts and argues that the root cause of the conflict in China, especially in Xinjiang is not only about religious extremism, but also about the systematic violation of basic rights and insensitivity towards minority identities by the state. As our analysis demonstrates, the Islamist terrorist threat to China is manifestly clear and not ambiguous. However, Beijing needs to develop an appropriate counter-terrorism posture that is transparent, legitimate and fair and addresses the concerns of the international community.

Rohan Gunaratna is Professor of Security Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University. He heads Singapore's International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR).
Arabinda Acharaya is Research Fellow and Manager of Strategic Projects at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University. He is also a Visiting Faculty at the Department of Geo-Politics, Manipal University, India.
Wang Pengxin is Research Analyst at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University.