Policing terrorism in China

Abstract

This research seeks to examine the policing terrorism strategy in China. Based on eight in-depth interviews of police officers and analysis on public sources, this research presents the counterterrorism organization structure and China's main policing strategies. The main contents include the analysis of counter-terrorism organizational structure through bureaucracy theory, and some regional policies especially community policing. Due to the fact that Xinjiang is the most typical region of counter-terrorism affairs in China, this thesis takes Xinjiang as an example to analyze regional policing measures. Combining hard means and soft measures, policing terrorism in China adopts a series of comprehensive measures such as high-pressure strikes, de-radicalization and community policing. The operation in practice form a mixed mechanism which has a goal of community-center style but cannot completely get rid of community-target characters. This thesis also introduces some counter-terrorism measures in other regions of China and summarizes the focal points and challenges faced by China's policing work.