‘Fighting the Enemy with Fists and Daggers’

Abstract

China’s counterterrorism policy in Xinjiang represents an evolving, complex, and controversial approach to managing ethno-religious tensions. Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping is using a spectrum of tactics to combat the ‘three evil forces’ of ethnic separatism, religious extremism, and violent terrorism, ranging from heavy police actions against violent elements to inducements for minorities to enjoy the purported fruits of CCP rule and assimilate into Chinese society. This chapter examines three core aspects of the Xi administration’s counterterrorism policy in Xinjiang: the influence of ideological imperatives in shaping counter-terrorism policy; the “management” of religious affairs; and the use of militarized policing and surveillance.