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Updated September 19th, 2021 at 09:04 IST

China wary of Taliban's promise to crackdown on Uyghur separatist group ETIM

Beijing concerned over Taliban’s promise to crack down on the Uyghur separatist group East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) founded in Xinjiang, western China.

Reported by: Bhavya Sukheja
China
IMAGE: AP | Image:self
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China is wary about the Taliban’s promises to crack down on the Uyghur separatist group East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM). Last week, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen had said in an interview with Global Times that several ETIM members had been told to leave the war-torn country because the Taliban had categorically told them that Afghanistan can’t be used to launch attacks against other nations. Shaheen’s comments then immediately caught China’s attention, which had already raised concern over the fate of ETIM following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. 

According to HK Post, the Taliban statement has raised doubts over the sincerity of the regime. China is wary of whether the Taliban will keep its promise to crack down on the Uyghur separatist group. It is worth noting that the ETIM is branded as the “most dangerous and extremists terrorists groups” in China, which aims to “split the Xinjiang region from China”. 

China hopes Taliban embrace ties with ETIM 

The ETIM has been accountable for hundreds of terror attacks in China, especially in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is an UNSC-designated terrorist organisation, which poses a direct threat to China’s security and its people. The ETIM harms regional stability and security and is also a "tumour festering" in Afghanistan.

China has repeatedly expressed concerns over the group to the Afghan Taliban on multiple occasions. Chinese authorities have repeatedly accused the group of developing close ties with international terrorist organisations, including Al-Qaeda. They have even claimed that the ETIM has scattered across Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria and other nations in the Middle East, Central Asia and Southeast Asia. 

Now, as China was one of the first countries to recognise the Taliban regime, the ETIM fighters reportedly relocated out of Afghanistan, leaving China wary that the Taiban which supported ETIM at the border has provided a safe passage to the fighters instead of handing them over to China. In response to Shaheen’s comments, Chinese Foreign Minister spokesperson Zhao Lijian took note of the issue and said that China has raised issues related to ETIM with the Taliban on multiple occasions. While speaking at a press conference, Lijian said that China hoped that the insurgent group will honour their commitments, seize ties with ETIM and take effective measures to resolutely crackdown on the terrorist organisation within its territory. 

(With inputs from ANI)

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Published September 19th, 2021 at 09:04 IST

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