On the heels of an attack in Xinjiang that China blames on Islamic extremists based in Pakistan, Brian Fishman publishes an article (pdf) examining al-Qaeda/China relations:
China’s growing economy and subsequent search for resources will increasingly tie it to regimes that al-Qaeda and its allies believe to be fundamentally corrupt, a fact that leaves jihadis conflicted about how to direct their energy today and questioning who will be their enemy tomorrow. Some jihadis enjoy the fact that the United States faces increased economic and political competition from China, but others argue that replacing the denomination of currency from dollars to yuan propping up hated Arab governments will not advance al-Qaeda’s ultimate political and ideological goals. In the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death, his successors are likely to reassess the global geopolitical picture and al-Qaeda’s role in it.
Zhu Feng looks into the possibility of China helping to clean up Afghanistan.
The Dish 