The deadly shooting at a Moscow concert hall over the weekend has triggered a public debate in China over how the country can balance security measures with the need to open up after years of pandemic restrictions.
At least 137 people were killed when four gunmen opened fire at the Crocus City Hall on Friday evening – the deadliest such attack faced by Russia for two decades.
Terrorist group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, and since released what it says is footage from the carnage.
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Shocked Chinese net users expressed their condolences to the victims online, while some called for a further tightening of security measures within China – already one of the world’s most heavily policed countries in the world.
Security checks are mandatory for many high-profile occasions in the country, especially in the capital Beijing.
China has not reported a terrorist attack since assailants stormed a Communist Party office in Xinjiang at the end of 2016, leaving two people dead.
However, heavy security measures that Beijing says are aimed at fighting “terrorism and extremism” – specially in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region – have sparked international censure.
Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of the nationalist tabloid Global Times, reacted to the online calls for tighter security measures.
Posting on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Saturday, Hu said security measures should not be so extreme that they hinder the post-Covid opening up of Chinese society.
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“We should keep in mind that China is generally safe, especially when it comes to counterterrorism,” he wrote.
“Of course, absolute security does not exist, but the more urgent need for Chinese society now is to find ways to further enhance social vitality and the innovative atmosphere needed for strong economic development.”
China and Russia face different security situations, he pointed out, adding that China “has no basic conditions for the kind of terrorist attack that took place at the Moscow concert hall ... and is now undoubtedly under one of the strongest periods of domestic security control”.
China had “fundamentally managed” domestic terrorism and made hi-tech advances in tackling security risks, he said.
But Hu’s call for viability was rebutted by some online hardliners. They included “Guyanmuchan”, an influential blogger with more than 7.3 million followers on Weibo.
The blogger, who frequently posts commentaries on current affairs, argued that security was an important guarantee for the economy.
“I didn’t expect Hu to relate this matter to the economy. A safe environment is an important consideration for investors, and without it, who is going to invest if the situation is precarious?” she posted on Sunday.
Noted intellectuals also weighed in. Shen Yi, professor of international politics at Shanghai’s prestigious Fudan University and a highly influential nationalistic voice, said national security was an important concept that must be treated seriously.
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“The overall concept of national security must be put into practice, with no shortcomings and no blind spots,” the Weibo user with more than 1.8 million followers posted on Monday.
“Moreover, [we] must not take chances, and there must be an integration of security and development, and there is a need for capacity innovation and system refinement under resource constraints, with no room to speculate.”
International relations professor Jin Canrong, another nationalistic voice in academia, echoed Hu in highlighting the differing security scenarios of Russia and China.
Domestic tensions and weak governance capacity compared with the United States and China were among the reasons behind the attack in Moscow, Jin wrote on Saturday on WeChat – another leading Chinese social media platform.
An influencer named “Liji”, who has 5.3 million followers on Weibo, also said China’s strict security measures were justified.
“A terrorist attack on the capital city of a country is a heavy blow to the whole country, and the psychological damage to the nation is incalculable,” Liji posted.
“Compared with the security check that brings so little trouble ... a sense of security is too precious.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping had sent a message of condolence to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, expressing his shock at the “serious terrorist attack”, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday.
“China is against terrorism in any form,” Xi said. “We strongly condemn terrorist attacks and firmly support the efforts of the Russian government in safeguarding national security and stability.”
More from South China Morning Post:
- ‘It was very chaotic’: Chinese students in Moscow share harrowing accounts of concert hall shooting
- Russia’s opposition blasts Putin’s broken security promises after Moscow concert hall attack
- Russia casts doubt on Islamic State responsibility for concert attack
- Moscow concert hall attack shakes Russian capital, sows doubts about security
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