A hard question to answer in the Belgian capital

Fueling the fear is the fact that a 25-minute walk from the center of Brussels brings you to the Molenbeek area of the capital, which has been linked to Paris attacks and a number of other terrorist attacks. Meanwhile, it has been reported that more than 100 militants might be in Belgium, with hundreds more in other European countries.

People's normal daily lives have been changed by such reports and the heightened terror alert, and many people have canceled their scheduled weekend activities, and have chosen instead to stay at home.

Of course, ordinary people should follow the instructions of the government. But in the face of such a threat, the government should do more to eliminate the loopholes that may give terrorists a chance to attack.

It is true before the terror alert was raised to the highest level, European institutions and other governmental offices were protected by the soldiers during office hours on weekdays.

But as my son told me, schools are not well protected. And the airport and train stations are free to enter without any luggage checks before moving into the halls.

These are obvious loopholes; especially in a time of emergency such as this. Police and soldiers should be with the ordinary people to boost their sense of security.

A message has been widely spreading on WeChat, the most popular instant messaging service in China, teaching how to pronounce "Brothers, please don't open fire" in Arabic language. And people are suggesting ways to teach kids what to do in the event of a terrorist attack.

It is distressful to learn this kind of survival knowledge. Europe is one of the most wealthy and livable continents in the world. Why has it come to this? How can the roots of terrorism on the continent be dug up has become the question on most people's lips.

The author is China Daily chief correspondent in Brussels.

fujing@chinadaily.com.cn