China’s designation of four Muslim separatist groups and 11 individuals as terrorists has alarmed many Chinese Muslims, who say such actions by the government are fraying their already tenuous ties with other Chinese. Groups from the western region of Xinjiang, where some ethnic Uighurs are fighting to create the independent state of East Turkestan, dominate the list, which was announced last month. It was China’s first formal accounting of suspected terrorists. The dispute between Beijing and the Muslim Uighurs dates to 1949, when the region was annexed by China. But since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, China has cast the conflict as one driven by Islamic fundamentalism. Full Story