The Great Wall-2024 International Forum on Counter-terrorism kicks off on August 27, 2024. Courtesy: Chinese People’s Armed Police Force

The Great Wall-2024 International Forum on Counter-terrorism kicked off in Beijing on Tuesday with a focus on unmanned technology in combating terrorism. The forum has been widely praised by participants for highlighting China’s active role and contribution toward global efforts to combat new forms of terrorism.

The Great Wall-2024 International Forum on Counter-terrorism is being held in Beijing from Tuesday to Friday. Hosted by China’s armed police force, the four-day event has brought together over 170 delegates from more than 50 similar foreign armed forces, as well as over 150 Chinese representatives.

The forum is themed on unmanned anti-terrorism operations. It involved discussions on equipment, tactics and training and talent cultivation for unmanned anti-terrorism operations. 

Compared to previous forums, this year’s forum is larger in scale and higher in level, with more participating countries. 

Addressing the opening ceremony, Wang Chunning, commander of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, said that emerging forms of terrorism in recent years have witnessed the use of new technologies such as online promotion of terrorist ideology, using unmanned technologies to attack and using intelligent methods as well as digitized information.

In response to the increasing trend of terrorism becoming more automated and intelligent, we should keep up with the changes and build on effective anti-terrorism experiences and practices, and share anti-terrorism combat experience, General Wang said.

Throughout the forum, attendees will also observe training courses and unmanned equipment demonstrations.

Launched in 2016, the forum, now in its fifth edition, is dedicated to fostering consensus, enhancing communication and promoting collaboration in order to combat terrorism across the globe.

Courtesy: Chinese People’s Armed Police Force

“This forum is a very great initiative of China. There are some things in the world that we cannot fight alone. It is very important that we get together… Nowadays, some terrorists are [well] equipped, well trained, and they have the knowledge. So when we share with symposium like this, we share the information, we share this knowledge, and then we can do a great thing against them,” Jayant Bidesie, acting permanent secretary of Ministry of Defense of Suriname, who participated in the forum, told the Global Times.

All countries are now focused on developing unmanned technologies, and China is one of the most advanced countries in this area in this world, Igor Grcic, assistant commander of Gendarmerie of Ministry of Interior of Serbia, told the Global Times, noting that Serbia is willing to enhance cooperation with China on unmanned technology in fighting terrorism. 

“It’s a good step to get together those countries, and they have experience in counter-terrorism. We will exchange our experience together,” said Colonel Nabil Haj-Hassan, head of Lebanon’s regional office. 

Haj-Hassan said compared with European unmanned equipment, Chinese products are more effective and cheaper.

“Unmanned technology in fighting terrorism is completely a new technology to us. That’s why we’d like to know what is unmanned counterterrorism equipment, what China is going to show us,” Colonel Syed Asaduzzaman, general secretary of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence of Bangladesh, told the Global Times. 

“We need to prepare ourselves or train ourselves according to the new development of terrorism… We also need to be with the advancement of the world and know what other countries are doing,” said Asaduzzaman. 

In terms of unmanned technology, China is endowed with the most complete and advanced technology, Fu Xiaoqiang, vice president of China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

China has strengthened export controls on drones that exceed certain standards, which has made a significant contribution to international security. 

For example, China has adjusted export controls on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a spokesperson with the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said last month. 

The adjustment includes the revision of management standards for certain important components of UAVs, such as infrared thermal-imaging devices and target-indicating lasers, according to an MOC statement.

Furthermore, the adjustment prohibits the export of all civilian drones that are not subject to export controls but are for use in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorist activities or military purposes, the Xinhua News Agency reported.  

China has also used its unmanned technology to enhance current counter-terrorism technologies, according to Fu. Our unmanned technology standards, including standards for counter-terrorism drones, may play an active role in helping establish international standards in the future. By promoting international cooperation in drone counter-terrorism, China can take a leading role and contribute to global security, the expert said. 

Courtesy: Chinese People’s Armed Police Force