China is increasingly concerned about the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a terrorist organization. At a United Nations meeting on August 20, China called for immediate action against ETIM, warning that inaction could destabilize countries from the Middle East to South Asia. According to Global Times, China’s Deputy Permanent Representative Geng Shuang stated that thousands of ETIM terrorists have become active again in Syria and are poised to spread terror in neighboring areas. The article explores the origins, activities, and resurgence of ETIM, highlighting its threat to China and the broader region. Established in the 1990s by Hasan Mahsum in Pakistan and Afghanistan, ETIM aims to create a separate Turkestan. Initially funded by al-Qaeda, the group was linked to Osama bin Laden’s training camps. The organization was sanctioned by the international community in 2002. China eliminated its founder and his successor in the early 2000s, but the group continued to operate covertly. From 2008 to 2014, ETIM launched numerous attacks in China, causing hundreds of deaths and injuries. The recent resurgence of ETIM in Syria, as noted by Geng, poses a significant threat, with potential impacts on multiple countries in the Middle East and South Asia. With a large Uyghur population in Xinjiang province and neighboring regions, China faces considerable risks should unrest arise.
