Chuck,

This is an interesting development. Chinese officials argued that a) the protests and subsequent riots in Tibet were the work of violent separatist groups, and b) just before and during the Olympics, officials said there were attacks in northwest China. These views have all been greeted with some skepticism in the West. China does have many disgruntled members of society and domestic terrorism has been a problem. Most recently, however, the Chinese have protested the decision first by US administration officials to send 5 Uyghur separatists who were held at Guantanamo Bay to Albania. US investigators determined they represented no threat to the US. And in recent weeks, a federal judge has ordered that the remaining Uyghurs be released as the government can not demonstrate it has reasonable fear they will act against the US. They cannot be sent back to China because it is assumed the Chinese authorities will torture and perhaps execute these individuals.

The daily updates section of the US-China Today website has articles about these issues. See it at:
http://www.uschina.usc.edu/dailyupdateS.aspx

it looks like Chinese Government has since ventured out further, sending naval vessels to assist in fighting Somali pirates off the African coast.