Al Qaeda, China, and Afghanistan

Al Qaeda is a wide-ranging entity with the aim to establish the Islamic Caliphate. It operates in South Asia, North Africa, the Middle East and in many other areas. It has recently singled out the area of "East Turkestan". This region is Xinjiang province located in the western hinterlands of China. Xinjiang province shares a border with Afghanistan and China is fearing that an "East Turkestan" resistance group affiliated with al Qaeda will operate out of sanctuaries located in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Read more in "Al Qaeda Has Set its Sights on Xinjiang - and China Isn't Happy About It", Lawfare Blog, October 23, 2014.