By Shannon Tiezzi
With yet another terrorist attack overseas threatening China’s citizens, how will Beijing respond?
A week after coordinated attacks in Paris left 130 dead, roughly a dozen gunmen stormed the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, Mali, taking 170 people hostage. According to Chinese media, at least seven Chinese citizens were among the hostages.
Details are scant on the still-breaking story – as of this writing, the BBC was reporting that Mali’s special force had entered the hotel to combat the attackers. It’s unclear who the gunmen are, or whether they are affiliated with any organized groups. Witnesses reported that the attackers were freeing prisoners who could recite the Shahada, an Islamic creed of faith, seeming to indicate that the attack was meant to target only non-Muslims. At least three people have been reportedly killed, with the situation still developing (and over 138 hostages believed to be still inside).
The hostage-taking in Mali comes days after Islamic State (ISIS) announced that ithad murdered a Chinese hostage. China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the news on Wednesday, in a statement saying that “Fan Jinghui, a Chinese citizen, was kidnapped and cruelly killed by the Islamic State extremist group.” Spokesperson Hong Lei conveyed China’s strong condemnation of the murder. “With no regard for human conscience and moral baseline, the terrorist organization still carried out this cold-blooded and violent action,” Hong said. “The Chinese government strongly condemns this inhuman action and will definitely hold the perpetrators accountable.”
Read the full story at The Diplomat