China's stand on countering terror is double-faced

At SCO in Samarkand, China stressed the need for concerted action on terrorism but wouldn't it be naive to take President Xi Jinping seriously as far as combating terrorism is concerned?

In his address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Samarkand on September 15, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the need for concerted action on terrorism. Does President Xi really mean to curb terror? Should India expect China to cooperate in its ongoing war on terror?

Observers say it would be naïve to take China seriously as far as combating terrorism is concerned. China has been two-faced on the issue of terrorism. Ever since then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir Hari Singh signed the Instruments of Accession and the region ruled by him became an integral part of India, the successive dispensations in Islamabad have been one of the chief sources of terror activities in India. But Beijing has chosen to look the other way.

Not only that. Beijing continues to shield the elements, who have been based in Pakistan and masterminding terror activities against India. Recently, China has blocked a joint India-United States attempt to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorist Sajid Mir under the 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council as a global terrorist and subject him to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. Earlier, China put on hold the proposals the United Nations to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorists Abdul Rauf Azhar and Abdul Rehman Makki.

The observers say the pattern of the international community's response towards India's war on terror has been anything but encouraging. It is high time New Delhi resorted to the well-established doctrine of self-defence and be tough in its war on terror. It could authorise our defence forces to launch surgical strikes against the India-specific terrorists based in Pakistan.

The identities of the elements, such as Sajid Mir, Abdul Rauf Azhar and Abdul Rehman Makki, are well established. Mir is a Lashkar-e-Taiba 'commander' wanted for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. He is presently lodged in a Pakistan jail. Abdul Azhar is the brother of Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM) chief Masood Azhar and a senior leader of the Pakistan-based terror organisation. Makki is the brother-in-law of Lashkar-e-Taiba head and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed.

Additionally, New Delhi may activate its diplomacy to make Washington act tough with Islamabad. The US administration could use its traditional clout with Islamabad to make the latter cease shielding the India-specific terrorists based in Pakistan. Such terrorists are no friend to the United States. In August 2012, the US Department of the Treasury designated Mir as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

(Jagdish N. Singh is a senior journalist based in New Delhi. He is also Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, New York)

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