China's response to ISIS and its own radical Islamist problem

China has censored social media discussion of the recent killing of one of its nationals by ISIS, apparently fearing too much discussion will make its inaction look bad to its own citizens. Meanwhile, it has reported killing 28 "terrorists" in Xinjiang that it claims were local Islamic radicals tied to a foreign extremist group, and took a swipe at Western "double standards" on terrorism even as it offered condolences for last week's Paris attacks.

How big is the radical Islamist problem in China, specifically Xinjiang? It's definitely worse than the official state media makes it out to be, and has become a chronic security issue since the big Urumqi riots in 2009, which now claims hundreds of lives annually. That being said, it's hard to think that this isn't a problem Beijing has largely brought upon itself. Its policies - jailing moderate activists, banning veils and headscarves, restricting Ramadan observances, and compelling Sinocentric education - are pretty much a wish-list for ISIS, Al Qaeda and other international jihadist groups to get young Uighurs to join their ranks. If anything, the minuscule number of Uighurs that have actually been seen with such groups in places like Syria and Afghanistan is an indication of the longstanding moderation of these Muslims.

Or, if China really messes things up with its heavy-handedness, this could be the early stages of something much worse: a far broader politicization of Islam in the Uighur population, including violent radicalization. That would be the opening for ISIS or Al Qaeda to actually establish themselves within Chinese borders.

The aspirant ISIS caliphate includes a good chunk of western China, including Xinjiang: