China eyes anti-terror force to protect overseas interests

[To-Whose-Benefit?]

Reuters
September 29, 2018 / 5:51 AM / Updated 18 hours ago

[excerpt]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-defence-security/china-eyes-anti-terror-force-to-protect-overseas-interests-idUSKCN1M909U

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is working to develop a first-class, crack anti-terror force that can operate at home and abroad and protect the country’s overseas interests, a senior Chinese officer said in comments carried by state media on Saturday.

In late 2015, China passed a new anti-terrorism law that allows the military to venture overseas on counter-terror operations, though experts have said Beijing faces big practical and diplomatic problems to actually execute such an action.

China says it faces a threat not only from home-grown Islamists in its far western region of Xinjiang, but also from militants in the Middle East, some of whom it says are from Xinjiang.