Uyghur Terrorism in a Fractured Middle East

This chapter explores the relationship between Uyghur terrorism and the current wave of Islamist-inspired terrorism roiling the Middle East. In particular, it tracks the evolution of the ideological and operational impacts of Middle Eastern jihadist terrorism on Uyghur terrorism. The chapter does so through an exploration of the historical links between Middle Eastern jihadis and Uyghurs and the links between Uyghur extremists, such as the “Turkestan Islamic Party” (TIP) and the current conflicts in Syria and Iraq. It argues that the current fractured Middle East has created an environment in which Uyghur militancy and jihadism has not only thrived but provided conditions for the strengthening of TIP’s connection to al Qaeda’s core. The chapter concludes that that the terrorist threat to China may escalate further due to the fact of growing footprint of Chinese nationals and interests around the world and Uyghur militants’ linkages across the global jihadist community.