China vows to avenge hostage killed by IS

BEIJING: China yesterday vowed to bring to justice those responsible for killing one of its citizens after Islamic State (IS) said it had executed a Chinese captive, the only known Chinese hostage to have been held by the group.

IS said it had killed a Chinese and Norwegian captive, showing pictures of what appeared to be the dead men under a banner reading “Executed” in the latest edition of its English-language online magazine, Dabiq. It did not give any further details.

In a statement, China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the man’s identify for the first time, naming him as Fan Jinghui, saying he had been “cruelly murdered”. It had said in September that one of its citizens appeared to be in IS captivity.

Beijing had activated an emergency mechanism to try to rescue him, but he was killed nevertheless in a “cold-blooded way”, the ministry said.

“The Chinese government strongly condemns this savage act devoid of humanity and will certainly bring the criminals to justice,” the statement said.

“The Chinese government will resolutely oppose all forms of terrorism and resolutely strike at any violent terrorist criminal activities that defy the bottom lines of human culture,” it added, noting that Beijing would strengthen anti-terrorism co-operation with the international community.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, visiting Manila for a regional summit, said he strongly condemned the killing.

While Chinese workers in Africa and Pakistan have been held hostage before, a diplomatic source familiar with the case said it was unclear what exactly Fan was doing in the Middle East, but it appeared he had a “wanderlust”.

“It seems he wanted to see unusual places, and this is probably why he ended up there,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Influential state-run tabloid, the Global Times, cited an interview Fan gave to Chinese state television in 2001 in which he said he had a sense of adventure – and danger.

“I diligently seek out a feeling of ‘unsafety’, because it gives me a kind of pleasant sensation once the danger is past,” Fan said.

China has repeatedly urged the world to step up co-ordination in combating IS, though it has been reluctant to get involved on the ground in Syria and Iraq where the group largely operates.

Chinese officials say the country faces a severe threat from Islamist separatists in its western Xinjiang region, where violence has left hundreds dead over the past three years.

Western nations have been reluctant to co-operate in China’s campaign in Xinjiang, nervous about being implicated in possible human rights abuses. China denies rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Since last week’s attacks in Paris, Chinese state media has lambasted Western countries for their “double standards” on terrorism.

“The West only recognises its own style of democracy and accepts only the terrorism it suffers,” it said in an editorial. – Reuters