China Warns of Reemergence of Islamic State Group in Syria

A senior Chinese official said Tuesday that there was a danger of Islamic State group re-emerging in Syria and called for progress in the political process between the Damascus government and the opposition to end the war.

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“There is now a danger of terrorist organizations like ISIS being revived, we see some signs in some of the places,” Chinese Special Envoy Xie Xiaoyan told reporters after talks with U.N. Special Envoy Geir Pedersen in Geneva.

“So the fight against terrorism needs to be continued. They need to be finished,” he added. “The international community should pay attention to the early warning.”

China has long worried about ethnic Uighurs from China’s far western region of Xinjiang who has traveled clandestinely to Syria and Iraq to fight with Islamist groups there. Islamic State group has killed at least one Chinese hostage and extremist groups have issued statements threatening to attack China.

China has also long urged a diplomatic resolution to the Syrian conflict. Its top diplomat and State Councillor Wang Yi said in June that China will continue to support Syria to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity and fight against terrorism, and will help with Syria’s economic reconstruction efforts.

Xie also reaffirmed his country’s support to the U.N.’s mediation efforts. 

The Chinese envoy focused on three points for the solution. Firstly, acceleration of the political solution. Secondly, anti-terrorism effort needs to be stepped up, and thirdly, economic reconstruction. 

Since the start of the conflict, China provided humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people and they will continue to do so according to Xie.