As Chinese new year is approaching, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region was again haunted by the specter of terrorism on Friday. Around 10 terrorists were shot dead and captured, while only one policeman was slightly injured. There were no civilian casualties.

The new attack sets alarm bells ringing in Xinjiang. This border region will have to shoulder tight pressure during the Spring Festival.

Xinjiang has seen a high incidence of terrorist attacks in recent years. But most attacks were put under control and resolved in local areas. Local police have also gained more experience in dealing with these incidents. As of now, terrorists in Xinjiang are not  equipped with standard arms, which means the tight controls over weapons and strict administration on exit and entry offer little chance for terrorists to prevail over the area.

Terrorism in Xinjiang has become more widespread, but they still lack unity and integration. Their stealth attacks make them no different from criminal gangs. Although Xinjiang is still at risk of terrorism, there is little chance it will suffer overall chaos.

It is getting more difficult for Xinjiang to maintain absolute stability, but it is alarmist to define it as a second Caucasus, where ethnic and religious conflicts are rife. The Chinese government, as well as the Xinjiang residents, including Uyghur people, are confident that this area will not be led by extremism and become a turbulent community.

Although some Uyghur people are perplexed by the brainwashing propaganda of separatists, they are still aware that the stability of Xinjiang is what really matters. Problems between different ethnic groups can be addressed with patience and confidence, which can guarantee Xinjiang has a bright future.

Compared with some parts of the world where ethnic and religious conflicts are rampant, Xinjiang is not impacted so badly from its own conflicts. That is because Chinese society has always yearned for stability. Any efforts to overturn this nationwide expectation, such as terrorist attacks, will be doomed to fail.

In the short term, local authorities in Xinjiang should hold the initiative and crack down on any kind of terrorism. In the long term, the whole country should leave aside the anxiety and urgency to address the existing problems once and for all.

Although located in border areas, Xinjiang has never been neglected by the whole nation.

In the face of terrorists, the mainland people and Xinjiang residents are holding together to deal with the same problem. Problems in this area are not only caused by Xinjiang itself, they are also the responsibility of the whole nation.