The Kunming terrorist incidents on March 1 are an example of one of the most inhumane cruelties in the recent history of terrorism. The development of the three evil forces of terrorists, secessionists and extremists can be attributed to different factors. One of them should be the support of the United States both politically and financially. For the values it upholds and for better China-U.S. relations, the United States should stop supporting Xinjiang secessionists.

Several months ago, I asked a leading American scholar on China-U.S. relations about the Xinjiang issue when I was visiting Washington DC. My question was how U.S. scholars evaluate the role of the Xinjiang issue in China-U.S. relations. The professor pointed across the window to Massachusetts Avenue and said, "You can ask the people on the streets the question, and find the answer. Have any of them heard of the Uyghur people?" The professor seemed very angry that I asked that question and puzzled as to why a Chinese scholar would ask such a simple question.

In one way, the professor is right since the number of Americans who know where Xinjiang is located and who are the Uyghurs is not that large. However, ordinary Americans' ignorance of the Xinjiang issue does not mean that the United States is not playing a role in the issue. Actually, the United States is the major supporter of Xinjiang secessionists in the international arena.

Firstly, the United States encourages secessionists to legalize their secessionist efforts. It is widely known that Rebiya Kadeer, the head of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), which is the umbrella for various secessionist organizations, has been living and carrying out secessionist activities in the United States since she was released from prison in China in March 2005. What's more, U.S. politicians at different levels have met with her many times to show their support. Former president George Bush met with Rebiya in 2006, 2007 and 2008.