Global counter-terrorism cooperation must reject double standards: expert

BEIJING -- The international community must proactively reject double standards in counter-terrorism to combat terrorism more effectively, a Chinese expert said during an ongoing forum that kicked off on Tuesday.

According to Liu Qing, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, the double standard mentality is one of the main reasons why the world is witnessing a resurgence of terrorist activities.

"Certain countries only focus on terrorist threats that target them and ignore those faced by others," said Liu at a seminar of the Great Wall-2024 International Forum on Counter-terrorism in Beijing.

He stressed that certain countries remain fixated on major-power competition, undermining and discrediting the counter-terrorism efforts of the broader international community, thereby weakening global capabilities to combat terrorism.

Terrorism is the common enemy of the entire human society, Liu said, adding that all countries should pursue the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity, join forces to fight against terrorism of all forms, and resolutely reject the practice of politicizing counter-terrorism and using it as a tool for selfish gains.

He proposed that all countries tackle security issues through development, enhance judicial and law enforcement cooperation, engage in mutual learning, and promote inter-civilizational dialogue to foster understanding and build international consensus on counter-terrorism.

Themed "unmanned counter-terrorism operations," this forum is the fifth of its kind since 2016.