China: Jihadists Back From Iraq, Syria Are Threat

BEIJING (AP) — China and its Central Asian neighbors face increased terrorism threats as their citizens return home after fighting in Iraq and Syria, the head of a regional anti-terrorism organization said Thursday.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization's Regional Anti-Terrorism Agency is assisting authorities in those countries in monitoring militants who have traveled to terrorist hotspots, the group's director, Zhang Xinfeng, was quoted as saying by China's official Xinhua News Agency.

They are also closely watching online discussions where radicals "tend to incite religious extremism, recruit followers and plot terror attacks," Zhang said.

All member states of the organization known as SCO, which also includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, have citizens who have joined radical groups in Iraq and Syria, Zhang said, reflecting similar concerns in Europe and the United States about the impact of radicalized fighters on security at home.

"These people have started returning to their homeland, which constitutes a major threat to regional security," Zhang said. No other details were given, although Chinese officials say they believe several dozen Chinese citizens have joined radical groups in Iraq and Syria.

Despite its concerns about terrorism, China is wary of foreign intervention in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq and has blocked attempts at the United Nations to authorize action against Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.

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