Al Qaeda Group Threatens Chinese in Revenge For Crackdown

China has warned Chinese companies in Algeria to be on guard after Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) called for retaliation against China for its crackdown in the country’s Muslim western province of Xinjiang.

Associated Press (AP) says this follows a notice on an unnamed “Islamist” website. The Chinese Embassy of Algeria website called on its nationals to:

In light of the (riots), the Chinese Embassy in Algeria reminds Chinese-funded companies and personnel to enhance security awareness and strengthen security measures.

The Guardian newspaper reports that a private risk-assessment firm, Stirling Assynt, says in an assessment that it is not in the interests of Al Qaeda’s main group to attack China itself. Justin Crump of Stirling Assynt said

I think you will see action where it is easy by Al Qaeda franchises, but it won't be Al Qaeda policy.

He said AQIM’s call was ”opportunistic” and added:

Strategically it would be highly counter-productive for them if you look at the fact their main assets are in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The report did not suggest that there was any link between Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang in China and Al Qaeda. China, however, has in the past claimed that the unrest in Urumqi was caused by outside forces and implied that Muslim ”terrorists” were involved. Meanwhile, geopolitical analysis company Stratfor says in a report that similar calls by Muslim terrorist groups were likely in the future, there was no increased threat of terrorism against China itself. However, the report pointed out that Chinese companies had been targeted in the Middle East before, and could now expect an increased threat.