Full text of President Xi's written interview with Russian media
Q7. Terrorism poses a real threat to global security and development. How do you view the Russia-China cooperation on combating the "three forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism?
Xi: The global counter-terrorism situation is undergoing profound changes, and international terrorists have remained active. Since the beginning of this year, many countries have been hit by serious terrorist attacks which caused heavy casualties. Given what has happened, people have come to realize that despite certain gains in the international military campaign against terrorism, there will still be many acts of terrorism wreaking havoc on world peace, stability and development. To counter the threat of terrorism remains a daunting task in global security governance.
Faced with grave terrorist threats, members of the international community, with stronger awareness of their shared future and growing consensus on fighting terrorism, are making remarkable progress in their joint efforts to fight terrorism. That said, challenges still abound. First, terrorism and hotspot issues interact with and exacerbate each other, which largely explains why greater global counter-terrorism efforts do not always lead to a decrease in terrorist activities. Second, international terrorist groups instigate and plan for more attacks in different parts of the world. Third, violent and terrorist ideology is spreading worldwide through the Internet and social media and will continue to show profound impact. Fourth, counter-terrorism is still used by some countries as a means to advance their own national interests, and double standards are applied in fighting terrorism. As a result, the international counter-terrorism cooperation tends to be fragmented and treated as a convenient tool. Synergy is hard to forge under such circumstances.
China has been supporting the global fight against terrorism in a constructive manner. China is of the view that, to promote international cooperation on counter-terrorism, countries need to: first, reject double standards, fully leverage the leading role of the United Nations in the fight against terrorism, and act in concert with strong determination; second, properly resolve regional hotspots in order to help restore stability to Syria and other Middle Eastern countries at an early date and contain the rampant spread of terrorism; and third, adopt a long-term perspective and a multi-pronged approach on the political, economic and cultural fronts, with a view to not only addressing the symptoms but also eliminating the hotbed for terrorism.
China and Russia are both victims of terrorism. Cooperation between our two countries in counter-terrorism and security affairs is an important component of our comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination and sets a fine example for the broader global counter-terrorism cooperation. Such cooperation serves peace and stability in this region and beyond as well as the fundamental interests of our two countries. Our sound cooperation in fighting the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism through law enforcement and security cooperation mechanisms plays an important and positive role in maintaining stability and promoting development in our two countries and this region at large. China hopes to deepen bilateral practical cooperation with Russia, step up mutual support on each other's core concerns regarding terrorism, and reinforce coordination and collaboration within such multilateral frameworks as the United Nations and the SCO. We will work together to uphold the leading role of the United Nations in the global counter-terrorism cooperation, deepen counter-terrorism and security cooperation within the SCO and other frameworks, and secure greater progress in global counter-terrorism cooperation.
