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Following the 9/11 attacks in New York, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has referred to Xinjiang as the key battlefield of coun terterrorism in China, and its countering measures as contributions to the international fight against terrorism and religious extremism. This paper transcends the labels of counterterrorism and preven tion of extremism to delve deeper into the CPC official counter terrorism discourse in Xinjiang. Through Critical Metaphor Analysis (CMA) it explores the underlying ideology of the CPC, essential to understand how perceived threats are interpreted and responded to, leading to political actions that reflect existing power structures within China’s political system. The analysis examines regional measures within the broader concept of “comprehensive national security” (Zǒngtǐ guójiā ānquán guān 总体国家安全观), deriving into policies that aim to integrate minority identities into a unified “Chinese identity” informed by Xi Jinping’s “Five Identifications” (wǔ gè rèntóng 五个认同) to protect and promote ideological security. This study contributes to discussions on China’s counterterrorism strategy, exploring it as part of a broader national security approach, where identity politics is central to the CPC’s legitimacy and, thus, regime stability