China Points Finger at Pakistan Again
Xinjiang Official's Claim Over Uighur Militants' Ties Could Strain Beijing's Bond With Regional Ally.
By BRIAN SPEGELE
BEIJING—A senior Chinese official on Wednesday alleged that some Uighur militants in northwestern China have deep-seated ties to Pakistan-based terror groups,
reviving an accusation that could put strains on the relationship between Beijing and its most important regional ally.
Nur Bekri, the top government official in China's northwestern Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, said Chinese officials believe the Pakistani government opposes recent attacks directed at China.
Analysts have said the increasingly public accusations suggest Beijing is either unhappy with Islamabad's counterterrorism efforts or is keen to show that attacks in Xinjiang originated abroad.
Nur Bekri, governor of Xinjiang, attends the province's delegation meeting held as part of the National People's Congress in Beijing, on Wednesday.
Some ethnic Uighurs have waged a long and bloody campaign for independence from China. Beijing has long accused Uighur separatists of being part of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, known as ETIM, which it says has ties to al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.
"We have discovered some East Turkestan activists and terrorists from our neighboring country have countless links," Mr. Bekri said during a meeting in Beijing of the National People's Congress, China's legislative body, which meets once a year.
He emphasized that Pakistan itself is an "all-weather friend" of China, echoing previous remarks from Chinese officials.
Pakistani Foreign Ministry and military officials couldn't be reached to comment. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a previous statement that it would continue to support China in fighting the ETIM.
Mr. Bekri's comments follow earlier claims in August by the city government of Kashgar, in far western Xinjiang, that suspected assailants there had received explosives and weapons training in terrorist camps across the border in Pakistan.
Analysts have said the increasingly public accusations suggest Beijing is either unhappy with Islamabad's counterterrorism efforts or is keen to show that attacks in Xinjiang originated abroad.
China has emerged as one of Pakistan's staunchest defenders in recent years, and a critical supplier of civilian and military aid, particularly as its ties with Washington have soured.
At the same time, accusations by Chinese officials over Xinjiang militants' ties to Pakistan echo claims by India and Afghanistan, which have both criticized Pakistan for failing to take aggressive enough action against terrorist groups there.
The latest accusations by Mr. Bekri appeared to be the highest-level finger-pointing yet at Pakistan over potential ties between its militants and Uighur separatists.
Foreign Ministry officials in recent months have declined to say whether they believe Uighur militants have ties in Pakistan. At a daily press briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin praised Islamabad's counterterrorism efforts.
"Pakistan is at the forefront of the international campaign against terrorism and has sacrificed a lot," Mr. Liu said. "We believe the international community should speak highly of Pakistan's efforts in fighting terrorism."
Leaders from across China are convening this week for the annual gathering of China's rubber-stamp parliament. The Communist Party is attempting to present a unified front even as the country's western regions of Xinjiang and Tibet face upticks in violence.
In the latest instance of violence, at least 13 people were killed last week in a remote region near the Xinjiang border with Pakistan after an attack by knife-wielding assailants in Yecheng County, according to local authorities. At least seven suspected attackers were also shot and killed by police.
Beijing has aggressively encouraged investment in Xinjiang in recent years, and has attempted to boost trade between the autonomous region and neighboring Central Asian states.
The region is also home to some of China's most abundant oil and gas reserves. Nonetheless, the arrival of growing numbers of entrepreneurs belonging to China's ethnic Han majority is leading to greater wealth disparity and perpetuating violence, according to analysts.
Ethnic clashes in the regional capital of Urumqi between Uighurs and Han Chinese in 2009 left nearly 200 people dead. Security forces dramatically stepped up their presence in the years since. Mr. Bekri, the region's top government official, has also pledged to crack down on religious activities the government deems illegal.
—Wayne Ma and Dinny McMahon in Beijing and Tom Wright in New Delhi contributed to this article.
Chinese Official: Xinjiang Militants Have Ties to Pakistan Groups - WSJ.com
