Advertisement
Diplomacy
OpinionWorld Opinion
Asma Khalid
Asma Khalid

Opinion | China and South Asia must solve regional tensions to fight terrorism

  • The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s efforts against terrorism will not work unless diverging security interests among member states are addressed
  • India and Afghanistan’s alleged support of attacks in Pakistan and border clashes are holding back economic integration and security cooperation

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Asma Khalid
During the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting in Kazakhstan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged member states to increase cooperation against terrorism.
Advertisement
Citing terrorist attacks in Russia and Pakistan, China’s top diplomat urged SCO members to intensify efforts in uplifting security and coordination, especially in terms of intelligence sharing and joint operations. Highlighting the existence of various terrorist forces, and given China’s border with most the SCO countries, Wang also called on member states to maintain continuous engagement with Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, speaking at the event, SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming also called upon member states to strengthen security cooperation by further improving corresponding mechanisms for countering present-day challenges and threats, primarily in terms of dealing with the so-called three forces of evil – terrorism, separatism and religious extremism.

Jointly ensuring and maintaining security, stability and peace in the region is one of the core objectives of the SCO. To this end, the organisation has formed the executive committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure as an exclusive standing body.

Advertisement

Despite arrangements within the organisation for jointly dealing with the regional terror threat, efforts aimed at strengthening anti-terror cooperation are likely to remain half-baked due to diverging security and economic interests among member states. India and China have had conflictual relations since their 2020 border clashes.

Advertisement