China's Position on International Terrorism: A Survey of Government Releases and Papers

In: China report: a journal of East Asian studies = Zhong guo shu yi, Band 42, Heft 2, S. 199-207

Abstract

The literature on terrorism appears to be burdened by a continuing and often acrimonious debate over its definition and nature. The 9/11 incident demonstrates that terrorism in today's world tends to be multi-faceted. All states use force or at least accept the use of force as legitimate in international relations. As such, the use of force per se cannot be the decisive factor in any study of terrorism. A better way might be to look into the actual practice or position of various states in generally accepted cases involving terrorism. The purpose of this short paper is to try and understand what the position of the Chinese Government is on the issue of international terrorism and how through official papers, releases and writings they endorse it. This is important and even necessary because just as there are elements of subjectivity, predilections, particularity, etc., international practices also contribute towards the formulations of a definite understanding of terrorism.