Once little more than a word in Hollywood films, "terrorism" now is a common political term and, unfortunately, a real threat on China's streets.

An explosion occurred at a railway station in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Wednesday evening. It is not clear if it is a terrorist attack, but it certainly provokes memories of the killing spree at a crowded station in the southwestern city of Kunming in early March.

President Xi Jinping on his recent tour to Xinjiang vowed to deploy a "strike-first" strategy against terrorism in a bid to deter enemies and inspire people.

Kashgar, in the most western part of Xinjiang, has witnessed several deadly terrorist attacks in the past few years. Dropping by a police station there, Xi told police officers that the better they prepare themselves in everyday training, the more likely they are to avoid bloodshed in real encounters with terrorists.

The Xinjiang visit followed a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on national security and social stability last Friday, with antiterrorism the main topic. In his speech at the session, Xi described antiterrorism as "essential to national security, people's basic interests and the country's reform, development and stability".

He did not exaggerate.

Terrorists savagely slaughtered 29 innocent civilians and injured over 140 in the Kunming station attack.

It is hard not to connect the Kunming killing with another attack last October, in which separatists drove a vehicle into a crowd of tourists in Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, killing five and injuring 40.

Separatists appear to be shifting their focus from symbols of the government -- such as public security stations and police vehicles -- to random, ordinary civilians, and operating in areas outside Xinjiang.

Terrorism, separatism and extremism has never stopped in Xinjiang and is harder to contain due to the Internet and other new technology.

There is every reason, immediate and long-term, to upgrade precautions against terror and to prepare society for real engagement.

For a country relatively new to the field, there is much to be done.

It will start from the government. At last Friday's session, President Xi pledged high intensity action to improve counter-terrorism abilities and to work with the public to build a "wall of bronze and iron".

Despite increasing economic and political strength, China is in a less safe world.

Two weeks ago, in the first meeting of the national security commission which Xi leads, he brought up the concept of comprehensive national security, ranging from politics, territory, military, economy to natural resources. When explaining this idea, Xi noted that China will pay equal attention to traditional and non-traditional threats. Terrorism no doubt falls in the latter category.

Accompanied by higher economic and political stakes, the country will face more and more complicated security threats, but will be better prepared when the leadership has a clear vision and resources are properly allocated.

Judging from the precedents, the battle against terrorism is long and painful with failure and success. China may have a good chance if it starts early enough.