American double standards in the global fight against terrorism have been blatantly revealed following a series of terrorist attacks in China's northwest Xinjiang.

The ruthless attacks by 17 knife-wielding rioters in Xinjiang's Shanshan County on June 26 resulted in the deaths of 24 people, including 16 from the Uygur ethnic group. The rioters attacked the township's police stations, a local government building and shops, indiscriminately assaulting police officers and other innocent people.

This incident, along with a series of violent attacks in Xinjiang's Bachu and Hotan, shows that the "three forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism, are clearly at play and creating chaos in the region. These terror attacks have severely impacted people's lives and overall social stability.

These violent terrorist crimes grossly violate human rights and should be roundly condemned by the international community. However, shortly after the attacks, some foreign media maliciously claimed that the terrorist attacks were a result of China's policies towards the country's ethnic minority groups. The United States, which always promotes itself as a global warrior against terrorism, often showing its scars to win international sympathy, even called the violent terrorist events in Xinjiang "the beginning of China's democratic movement." Such comments are a clear sign of American double standards in the global fight against terrorism.

The incredible comments from some countries and media expose their ambition to undermine unity among Xinjiang's ethnic groups, as well as disrupt social harmony and stability.

Terrorists are a universal enemy which cannot be tolerated by any law or civilization and terrorist attacks continue to plague the world. Besides ongoing terrorist attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan, we saw the "9/11" incident more than 10 years ago, the recent Boston Marathon bombings and the British "lone wolf" terrorist attacks. The international community should condemn and crack down on such attacks.

The terrorist attacks in Xinjiang are neither ethnic nor religious in origin. Regardless of their gender, religion or ethnic group, those who slaughtered police officers and innocent people are simply anti-humankind.

The attitude of the U.S. government and U.S. media towards the Xinjiang terrorist attacks only go to prove their shallow forgetfulness. Are the retained residues of the Twin Towers and the Boston atrocity signs of an ongoing American democratic movement, or do they signal that America's policies towards ethnic and religious groups are reaping discord?

As we all know, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) led by Rebiya Kadeer instigated the terrible and violent "7/5" crimes in Urumqi, capital city of Xinjiang four years ago. Following the recent events, the WUC immediately tried to justify the actions of those terrorists. It is also well known that the WUC is financially supported by the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy, whose funding comes largely from the U.S. Congress.

On the one hand, the U.S. promotes its high-profile "anti-terrorism" campaign; on the other hand, it justifies and even supports terrorists. To some extent, U.S. double standards on terrorism foster terrorism, which, of course, is severely detrimental to its own anti-terrorism stance. In this sense, the U.S. is as good as a terrorist accomplice with the clear goal of encouraging terrorist activities in and against China.

Huge progress has been made in recent years in Xinjiang, including the successful implementation of regional ethnic policies and the sound development of the region's economy and society. Due to the central government's preferential policies towards Xinjiang, the region's GDP exceeded 500 billion yuan in 2010, 600 billion yuan in 2011, and 750 billion yuan in 2012.

Terrorist attacks cannot stop further reform and development in Xinjiang and those who wish to cause chaos in Xinjiang through terrorist acts will fail.

The author is an editor with People's Daily.

The article was translated by Li Xiaohua. The original unabridged version was published in Chinese.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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