Although the Western media has become preoccupied with the protests against Beijing's repression in Tibet, Chinese policymakers perceive a comparably serious threat from another minority: the Muslim Uighurs. Concerns about separatist agitation among the Uighurs have had a considerable impact on Chinese foreign policy. On April 10, Chinese authorities announced they had exposed a plot by Muslim terrorists to kidnap foreigners and carry out suicide attacks in Chinese cities during the Summer Olympics. In a news conference, an official from China's Ministry of Public Security revealed that authorities had detained 45 suspects involved in two terrorist groups. The detainees allegedly planned to use firearms, explosives, and other weapons to disrupt this August's Olympic Games in Beijing. "These facts show that terrorists . . . are actively plotting attacks to undermine the games," Ministry spokesperson Wu Heping told journalists. "However, the arrests of the two groups show that Chinese police are well prepared and capable of foiling any sabotage."
Chinese Claims of Olympic Terrorist Plots Seem Suspect
