Shangri-La Dialogue: Countries agree to strengthen collaboration against terrorism in Asia

Countries in the region has vowed to strengthen collaboration on security, especially in anti- terrorism efforts in Asia during the ongoing 14th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday.

Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State for Defense of India said at the second plenary session under the theme of "new forms of security collaboration in Asia" that security threats in Asia have not only multiplied but are acquiring new forms, which are potentially "more disruptive, more complex and dispersed", and such an architecture requires innovative forms of international cooperation among Asian countries and also between Asian and non- Asian countries.

Among all the risks, Singh highlighted the growth of terrorism and religious extremism as "probably the greatest threat" today.

"Terrorists have learnt to make use of new technologies, including the internet, to violently disrupt our lives and economies," he said, adding that terrorist networks are often financed through other criminal activity such as narcotics smuggling, which requires active collaboration between countries.

In another session "Armed forces and new terrorist threats" in the afternoon, delegates from the United States, Canada, China as well as other countries also elaborate on their concern over new form of terrorism.

John McCain, chairman of Armed Services Committee of the United States Senate, said that terrorists such as ISIS has become a new international threat.

"ISIS is recruiting young people across the world, faster and more extensively than any terrorism movements before. The prospect of young people leaving our country and training and fighting with ISIS and returning home to conduct terrorist attacks is likely the most immediate threat that all of us face."

He also contended that in the fight against ISIS, the world is losing. "We're losing because we're not winning. It is not that we 're doing nothing, it is that nothing we're doing, diplomatically, economically, or militarily is reversing ISIS' momentum," he said. He therefore called for all countries to work together to fight against terrorism.

Colonel Lu Yin, Associate Research Fellow of the National Defense University of People's Liberation Army of China said that international terrorism has entered a new phase of fast development and new terrorist threats are gradually in shape, and international efforts to combat terrorism are facing severe challenges. And China is also willing to make its contribution.

"China is also the victim of international terrorism, and is therefore willing to conduct international counter-terrorism operations with other countries on the basis of mutual respect and equality." Endi