China came to Pakistan’s rescue yet again on the issue of terrorism as it blocked India’ bid at the UN to ban Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, the mastermind of the Pathankot terror attack.[1] This is not the first time China has done so. India’s effort to secure justice for the victims of 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack was also jolted by China in July 2015. It blocked an Indian move in the UN to take action against Pakistan for releasing Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the mastermind of the attack and commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). His release violated UN resolution 1267, which deals with designated entities and individuals.[2] This did not go down well with India, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi immediately conveyed India’s concerns to China.
China has been openly taking ‘pro-Pakistan’ stance in some of the worst terror attacks on India carried out by Pakistan based terrorists. Chinese media pointed to sectarian strife and farmer suicides, suggesting that it was not Pakistan but others within India who carried out Mumbai attacks in 2008.[3] Even when Indian consulate in Herat was attacked on May 23, 2014 by Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), China said that it believed Pakistan government or any responsible agency of Pakistan (ISI) will only fight against terrorism instead of being involved with any terrorist groups.[4] Even the US too had agreed with India and said that the attack was executed by LeT.[5] Despite serious threats of nuclear terrorism, China continues to support Pakistan’s nuclear program, so that the balance of power does not decisively tilt in India’s favor.
China itself has a dual policy on terrorism even though it has been blaming the US and other Western countries of doublespeak on terrorism. Western countries and human rights groups have voiced their concerns over China’s iron-fist approach to deal with extremist elements in Xinjiang. China wants the West to recognize it as ‘fight against terrorism’ in its restive province of Xinjiang. Notwithstanding this dilemma, China practices double standards with respect to terrorism waged against India from state backed terrorist groups in Pakistan. It ignores other terrorist groups (which attack India) and seeks Pakistan’s help in tackling East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), an extremist group in its Xinjiang province. ETIM receives weapons and training from Pakistan based terrorist groups. China must remember that terrorists cannot be ‘tamed’ as Pakistan is realizing today and China could one day be the target of the terrorists which now attack India from Pakistan. That is why; PM Modi has rightly said that there is need to ‘drop notion of his terrorist is not my terrorist’ and has appealed for genuine cooperation among nations to tackle the ever present threat of nuclear terrorism.[6]
Endnotes
[1] http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/china-again-blocks-indias-bid-at-united-nations-to-ban-masood-azhar-1292725
[2] http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/china-blocks-bid-for-un-action-on-pak-over-lakhvi/article7347637.ece
[3] http://orfonline.org/cms/sites/orfonline/modules/analysis/AnalysisDetail.html?cmaid=15523&mmacmaid=15524
[4] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-reject-claim-that-ISI-organized-attack-on-Indian-consulate-in-Afghanistan/articleshow/38817350.cms
[5] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/LeT-responsible-for-attack-at-Indian-consulate-in-Herat-US/articleshow/37205339.cms
[6] http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/drop-notion-of-his-terrorist-is-not-my-terrorist-modi-s-plea-at-nuclear-security-summit/story-6qe1fBG9NViLSyaltqJogL.html