The Chinese have mostly escaped the Islamic terrorism scourge, with many Jihadists calling China an ally rather than an enemy. It was even reported some time back in news articles that Mullahs prayed for Chinese victory against the ‘enemy’ US.

Not much Chinese reaction has been forthcoming even with Chinese citizens getting killed in Pakistan (Engineers working at Gwadar) and recently in the Jordan blasts. Most things that the Jihadis are fighting against, are also present in China (majority non-muslim population, yearning for materialism, etc.). They have been struggling with Islamic separatism in one of their own provinces for some time, but surprisingly, the Jihadists and the Chinese have not raised their voices against each other. What does it all really mean?

Is the Chinese gameplan to let the Jihadis can do their dirty work of keeping the world bleeding and preoccupied while they raise their own profile? Does this make China an ally of Jihadis? If China is an ally of the Jihadis, why is the world silent about it?

If the Chinese are not their ally, will they ever enter this ‘war on terror’ being played out in its neighbourhoods and around the world? The Chinese are pragmatic enough to realise that the Jihadis will ultimately start targeting them for not being muslims too. They can’t keep watching the world fight its battles forever without them and take all the spoils of war (presuming that the Jihadis get defeated). Or are they waiting for a trigger (bombs going off in Chinese cities), or just a good excuse? It might just be a matter of time when bombs start going off in Chinese mainland. Can they resist joining forces with the free world, even if they are not looking for an excuse? If it happens, rather, when it happens, What will it mean for the world, especially, its relationship with US, Russia, India and Pakistan?