Spotlight: World needs to unite in terrorism fighting, abandon double standards

Terrorism has become a grave and pressing challenge facing the international community. The Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups are running rampant, wrecking havoc to mankind.

The death of Fan Jinghui, a Chinese hostage held by the IS in Syria, was confirmed on Thursday by Chinese authorities.

After learning of his kidnapping in September, the Chinese government went all out to rescue Fan. The IS, however, ignored basic human morality and brutally killed the hostage.

On Friday, IS terrorists launched multiple attacks in Paris, killing at least 129 people and wounding more than 300 others, 99 of them critically.

On Oct. 31, a Russian airliner crashed in Sinai, Egypt, killing all 224 people aboard. The terrorist group IS has claimed responsibility for downing the plane.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting that terrorism is the common enemy of mankind.

The international community needs to form a united front to combat terrorism in a coordinated manner.

French President Francois Hollande said on Wednesday, "We must form a vast coalition to hit Daesh (IS in Arabic) decisively."

"The international community must rally around that spirit," he said at a gathering of city mayors.

"I call on the international community to take part in what could destroy Daesh army which threatens the whole world," he added.

Hollande also said he would meet his U.S. and Russian counterparts, Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin, next week to discuss coordination against the IS.

Meanwhile, Western countries, including the United States, need to abandon double standards in counter-terrorism.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, on Monday told a UN Security Council meeting that "there must be no double standards."

The leading role of the United Nations should be given full play so as to form a united front on counter-terrorism, he added.

Ebrahim Rahimpour, Iranian deputy foreign minister, said on Wednesday that the recent series of terrorist attacks showed that all countries are fragile in face of terrorism, and certain countries need to abandon double standards in counter-terrorism, which categorize terrorists into "good" and "bad."

He urged all countries to coordinate their actions.

China is a victim of terrorism. Combating the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a UN-listed terror group, and other terrorist groups is an important component of the international fight against terrorism.

The ETIM launched a series of deadly attacks in recent years in different parts of China, including Beijing, Urumqi and Kunming.

A total of 31 people were killed and another 141 injured by knife-wielding assailants at a train station in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province in the southwest, on March 1 last year.

An assault on a market in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on May 22 last year killed more than 30 people and injured 94 others.

Wang Yi, Chinese foreign minister, said on Sunday that "China holds that joint forces should be formed to fight against terrorism, and that both the symptoms and root causes of the issue should be addressed. Double standards shouldn't be allowed."

Liu, the Chinese ambassador, said the international community should work in a coordinated manner on all three tracks: political process, counter-terrorism and easing humanitarian situations.

China firmly opposes terrorism of all forms and will resolutely crack down on any terrorist act that challenges the bottom line of human civilization.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Wednesday, "China will continue to enhance anti-terrorism cooperation with the international community and maintain world peace and tranquility." Endi