Country Report on Terrorism 2024 - Chapter 1 - People’s Republic of China

Country Overview:  China’s counterterrorism efforts continued targeting ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang.  Beijing considered the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) the primary source of terrorism in Xinjiang, although there was no credible evidence that ETIM was an active organization.

According to Chinese law-enforcement reports and international media, prosecutions continued.  General Secretary Xi and other senior Chinese officials continued crackdowns in Xinjiang during the past two years, even though PRC media claimed Xinjiang had suffered no terrorist attacks for more than seven years.  China denied its Xinjiang policies involved human rights abuses, claiming its system of “reeducation” camps existed to “combat separatism and Islamist militancy in the region.”

China routinely lobbied foreign countries to extradite alleged Uyghur terrorists and sought public endorsement of its counterterrorism efforts in multilateral fora.  In addition, China’s State Council Information Office released a white paper detailing the country’s comprehensive legal framework, standardized procedures, and other counterterrorism measures while emphasizing “strict law enforcement,” international cooperation, and respect for human-rights protections.  The document further highlighted China’s participation in global counterterrorism initiatives to prevent and combat terrorism.

Turning to legislative developments, in November, China’s National People’s Congress passed revisions to the AML Law.  The revised AML Law expanded the scope of predicate crimes to include “other crimes,” such as illicit use of cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets.  Financial institutions were required to conduct customer due diligence based on risk profiles, with simplified procedures for lower-risk cases, and to promptly handle objections to risk management measures.  The law also strengthened data security and personal information protection, ensuring institutions handled anti-money laundering information securely and in compliance with relevant regulations.  The law took effect January 1, 2025.

On the international front, the 2024 China Military Power Report catalogued China’s diplomatic and military outreach in support of its global aims, stating: “Beijing implements its global counterterrorism strategy to develop the People’s Liberation Army operational experience, secure greater access to overseas theaters, and prevent terrorist attacks in China and against PRC citizens and economic projects abroad.”  During the year, China and Indonesia signed a bilateral counterterrorism MOU in August 2024 to enhance cooperation.  China further used its involvement in regional security fora, joint border patrols, and international exercises to press its neighbors to adopt its approach to counterterrorism cooperation, continuing efforts to promote its Global Security Initiative as an alternative counterterrorism strategy.

2024 Terrorism Trends: No terrorist incidents or criminal charges for terrorism-related crimes were reported in China.