06
May
The second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held in Beijing on April 25-27, with nearly 5000 guests from over 150 countries and over 90 international organizations attended, manifesting the influence and prospects of “The Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI). As we cheer for the progression and a series of achievements of BRI, we should also be aware of varied challenges facing it, especially those of terrorism.
A series of bombing attacks in Sri Lanka on April 21, 22, and 24 reminds us that terrorism remains a prominent threat for countries along the Belt and Road and a considerable menace for BRI.
In fact, regions along the Belt and Road such as the Middle East, Middle Asia, South Asia and North Africa have been concentrated areas of terrorist activities for a long time, with a large number of violent attacks claimed by terrorists every year. Terrorist activities have affected directly or indirectly the security, stability and development of these countries to varying degrees, as well as their capacity of undertaking BRI programs in a safe environment. Relevant investors of BRI also take terrorist activities into account when assessing their willingness to invest.
Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaida are among the most influential terrorist forces along the Belt and Road. IS has claimed for the bombings in Sri Lanka. However, whether the series of attacks are directly linked to IS, or how strong the connection is still requires further investigation by Sri Lanka police officers. Recently, plenty of IS extremists have been returning and diffusing, shaping the situation of terrorism in some countries along the Belt and Road.
Moreover, recent years have also seen a tendency of reemergence of al-Qaida in civil wars of countries such as Syria and Yemen, drawing close attention from both the countries concerned and international community.
Primary investigation shows that Sri Lanka bombings are intended to revenge for New Zealand mosque killings. Religion is an inevitable factor in violent attacks in regions along the Belt and Road. Contradictions and conflicts among different religions or denominations, which often appear as a mixture of historical and realistic results, trigger a large part of attacks, thus making it a worldwide problem and an arduous task.
In the long run, achievements of BRI is directly related to effectiveness of measures taken by countries along the Belt and Road to deal with terrorism. As BRI progresses, anti-terrorism should be put on the agenda for all concerned.
LIU Zaibao, Deputy Dean of National Academy of Development and Strategy, Renmin University of China
Source: http://opinion.china.com.cn/opinion_18_205918.html
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