The Proscription of The East Turkestan Islamic Movement and Its Impact on The Golden Age Between China and Great Britain
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30907/jcopolicy.vi68.729Keywords:
Sino-British ties, golden era, ETIM, counterterrorismAbstract
This study analyses the factors behind the listing and anticipated delisting of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) within the scope of the Chinese- British relations. This study answers the following questions: what are the circumstances that led to listing the ETIM? What could be the potential factors for delisting it by the UK, and how have the Sino-British ties evolved since the listing of ETIM in 2016? What are the implications of listing Chinese terrorist groups on Chinese-British relations? We attempt to answer the above questions by analyzing the evolution of the Chinese-British relations and their claimed 'Golden Era' through descriptive and comparative analysis. We conclude that the British proscription process is used more as a diplomatic tool to manage foreign relations as the majority of proscribed organizations are not seen as posing a direct internal threat to the UK's domestic security. This comes with a comparison to the USA’s position in listing the ETIM after 2001 and delisting it nearly two decades later to navigate strategic ties within the international community. As China's position shifts in the international community, the proscription of terrorist organizations changes amongst designator - countries based on their national interests.
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