Following the attack on Charlie Hebdo, many westerners have rallied around the ideals of free speech. However, as Wu Sike shares, the new tendencies and changes in global terrorism determine that no country is immune to its effects, and that the global society must be more mutually respectful and communicative.

The international response to the recent Charlie Hebdo incident indicates that there are subtle differences between the U.S. and Europe in their ideological treatment of free speech regarding religion. Shen Dingli suggests the difference between responsible free speech, and abstract instigation of other cultures.

Chen Xiangyang provides an overview of the major international power conflicts during 2014, a year marked by “flux” and “reconfiguration.” Western countries will find it hard to dominate international order, institutions, and rules due to the collective emergence of new powers, mostly in Asia.

Should the United States modify its view of terrorism in China in order to further counterterrorism efforts and the possibility of future cooperation with Beijing? He Wenping lays out China’s concerns and how they may be addressed to encourage increased bilateral relations.

China, the United States and other countries should strengthen communication and cooperation over counter-terrorism initiatives in order to enhance a new model of major country relations, writes Wu Sike.

China will not give up its free-rider strategy in dealing with international violent extremism anytime soon. However, the People’s Republic may use the US-led campaign against the Islamic terror group ISIS as a pretext to more aggressively crack down on Uyghur separatism in Xinjiang province.

Washington has launched still another “war against terror” in the Middle East and beyond. It is the kind of escalation that the Islamic State has hoped. In contrast, Beijing is likely to stick to cautious engagement.

If ISIS turns out to be a major threat to US national security, it’s reasonable to believe that the rise of China will become less of a problem for America. As for what it means for China and the US rebalance toward Asia, it still remains to be seen how effective Obama’s strategy against the Islamic State will be, writes Wang Wenfeng.

As President Barack Obama scales up his administration’s counteroffensive against terrorist groups operating in Iraq and Syria, Fu Xiaoqiang calls for China and the United States to find common interests and further anti-terror cooperation in order to decrease the potential of future threats and provide stability for a war-torn region.

Terrorism is the top public hazard of the present-day world. Its eradication calls for global cooperation and a shared sense of urgency.