China considers Russian airstrikes on ISIS necessary

From the viewpoint of China, Russian airstrikes on positions of the terrorist group Islamic State in Syria are necessary, the president of the Shanghai Institute for International Studies Cheng Dunsao said in an interview with a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza during the 12th session of the International Discussion Club Valdai in Sochi.

"On the one hand, we believe that military strikes on ISIS are necessary in order to destroy this terrorist organization and prevent its spread and impact. This is important. On the other hand, we hope these military actions won’t affect the civilian population, infrastructure and facilities. Because we have seen many such cases in other countries where other military actions, implemented by the US and NATO, led to these results by mistake. Actions that lead to destruction of hospitals, schools and victims of children are beyond my understanding,’’ he said.

"We hope that Russia will proceed with caution without injuring the civilian population, as well as not to destroy schools and hospitals. And I also believe that Russian actions against ISIS raise concerns in the US. And we hope that Moscow and Washington will establish close cooperation in order to avoid unnecessary military conflicts,’’  the expert added.

A similar point of view was expressed in an interview with a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza by the chief researcher at the Center for the Study of the world's problems at the agency Xinhua and the Institute of Social Development of Eurasia at the State Council of China Sheng Shiliang. He stressed that the Russian struggle against terrorism in Syria is fair and effective.

Cheng Dunsao said that his country is well aware of the needs and requirements of the Islamic world. "There are a lot of Muslims in China. The Chinese government has emphasized mutual respect and tolerance for diversity for a long time. We don’t interfere in the religious beliefs of Muslims. We also ask non-Muslims to have a respectful attitude towards Islam. We believe that this policy will bring us more harmony in our relations,’’ he said.

"Today we live in much more global and interdependent world. And the majority of the Muslim population in China are very modest. But on the other hand, some of them can easily be influenced by radical and extremist groups. Therefore, it is very important for China to work with other countries in order to fight extremism, radicalism and terrorism in China. This is linked not only with traditional Muslim beliefs, but also with violation of security and stability, which makes these problems much more difficult. There are a large number of Muslims living in north-western regions of China. There are also separatist forces, which try to separate and form their own independent state. Certainly, it is a threat to China's national interests and national security. This is a danger not only for the government, but for all Chinese people,’’ the President of Shimi said.

"I believe that Islam is not a problem as a religion. It's not a threat. The threat comes from those people who stick to radical and extremist ideas, and their extremist ideas may turn into acts of terrorism. It is a real threat to China. And if they are combined with separatists it will be a very serious problem and a threat to China's security,’’ Cheng Dunsao cloncluded.