International reaction

"Fighting terrorism is a major challenge for every country and now we can see clearly that it is also a major goal of the Chinese authorities. Given the hidden nature of terrorism, it is a very difficult task to fight and prevent it, but the government should take firm action to root out terrorist activities and organizations. In the meantime, the authorities should offer as much information and communication as possible to the public as part of the efforts to fight and prevent similar attacks in the future."

Pierre Picquart, a China observer and professor of geopolitics at the University of Paris VIII.

"It's a terrible tragedy, but I have very little information about the attack. At this stage it is important to focus on compassion for the victims and make sure that no other attacks are under way. Later, it will be important to analyze the underlying causes of this event. Often, the reasons for horrible events such as this can be found in events and policies that are many decades old. Sometimes these are just random acts of violence, but often these events are symptoms of other challenges in society such as income gaps, gang identities, or lack of vision for the future. So it is important to explore both reactive and proactive policies."