GENEVA, Sept. 18, 2020 -- The international community should firmly promote multilateralism and international cooperation, and enhance the ability to respond to terrorism and extremism so as to promote and protect human rights, a senior Chinese diplomat said Thursday.

 

Speaking at an online seminar on counter-terrorism and de-radicalization, Chen Xu, head of the Chinese Mission to UN at Geneva, reiterated a community with a shared future for mankind and called for an active implementation of the UN global counter-terrorism strategy.

 

"Terrorism and extremism severely undermine international and regional peace and stability, and severely violate all human rights. Since the beginning of this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought new risks and challenges to the global fight against terrorism and de-radicalization efforts," Chen said.

 

The Chinese envoy told the audience that China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region used to suffer from violent terrorism, national separatism, and religious extremism. Thousands of violent terrorist attacks had been carried out in Xinjiang, which seriously threatened people's lives and the social stability.

 

"Xinjiang puts the protection of the fundamental interests of the people of all ethnic groups in the first place. It has adopted a series of counter-terrorism and de-radicalization measures in accordance with the law," he said, adding that these combat and prevention measures have effectively curbed the frequency of terrorist activities and effectively protected the human rights of all ethnic groups.

 

"These measures are in full compliance with the requirements of the UN global counter-terrorism strategy and the action plan to prevent violent extremism, and have achieved positive results," he said.

 

Chen said Xinjiang has not had a single incident of terrorist violence for nearly four years. "The measures taken by Xinjiang have made important contributions to international anti-terrorism and de-radicalization efforts and provided valuable experience," he added.

 

"The essence of Xinjiang-related issues is to safeguard China's national sovereignty, independence and unity, and to protect the rights of people of all ethnic groups to live and work in peace and contentment," he added.

 

Thursday's online seminar, titled "Counter-terrorism, De-Radicalization, and Human Rights Protection", was sponsored by the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the UN Office at Geneva, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Cameroon to the UN Office at Geneva, and the China Society for Human Rights Studies.