ViewpointsOpinionWhen Dictatorships Are in Doubt They Call Their Citizens ‘Terrorists’SavePrintThe Chinese flag flutters near surveillance cameras mounted on a lamppost in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on March 15, 2019. Andy Wong/AP PhotoPhil Gurski7/13/2023|Updated: 7/17/20230:00X 1CommentaryAh, the ‘T’ word—terrorism. We have certainly been obsessed with it of late, probably since the awful events of 9/11.We had a problem loading this article. Please enable javascript or use a different browser. If the issue persists, please visit our help center.Share this articleLeave a commentPhil GurskiAuthorPhil Gurski spent 32 years working at Canadian intelligence agencies and is a specialist in terrorism. He is the author of six books on terrorism.Author’s Selected ArticlesWhat Does the Bondi Beach Attack Say About Today’s Terrorism?Dec 19, 2025Who Watches the Chinese Watchers?Dec 18, 2025Post-Secondary Institutions in the West Should Never Bend to Pressure From BeijingNov 24, 2025Clampdown on Christians in China: Christianity With ‘Chinese Characteristics’?Oct 28, 2025Related TopicsterrorismChinese Communist Party (CCP)ideology9/11 Attacks