No country is immune to terrorism. Almost every part of the world has suffered great losses from tragedies brought about by extremists. Xinjiang, the autonomous region in northwest China with abundant historical and cultural legacy, is no exception. The area has long been a victim of terrorism and religious extremism.

In response to this long-standing issue, different countries and regions have taken various approaches. However, fighting alone is not enough. The international community needs to embark on an effective, concerted, and coherent battle against terrorism, in all forms.

Matteo Bressan, an international relations and strategic studies professor at Lumsa University, commended efforts by the Chinese government to prevent and combat terrorism and extremism in Xinjiang.

"In many European countries, we don't have a clear vision of the terrorist threats China had in the past," said Bressan. "I have the opportunity to understand the political and social approach made by the Chinese government here."

Bressan mentioned in particular the establishment of vocational skills training centers. He believes extremism can be better prevented if countries can counter social and educational problems faced by young people. And these centers give them an opportunity to learn skills and be reintegrated into society.

He pointed out some European countries have neglected fundamental social and economic problems, which have created a hole in the social fabric, giving rise to citizens heading out to be foreign fighters. 

"The Chinese solution, the Chinese approach towards these challenges is very interesting, it should be analyzed much better in western institutes and universities," Bressan stated.

Dr. Predrag J. Markovic, vice president of Socialist Party of Serbia, compared the different approaches in countering terrorism by the United States and China: "America's response to terrorism is to scorch the other countries, make ruins of the other countries; China's answer is quite opposite, build society, build harmony, educate young people."

The concept of human rights is often associated with counter-terrorism. The global community is working on finding effective counter-terrorism measures while respecting human rights.

But the U.S. and other western powers try to monopolize the concept of human rights, Markovic pointed out, and define it by their own standards. In reality, it is a complex and diversified idea.

"So it is not only double standard, it is almost stupid to criticize Chinese for disrespect for human rights because if you compare policies, you see that China actually improves the lives instead of ruining them like America does," Markovic concluded.

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