BEIJING: China sticks to its standing position on the issue of Masood Azhar, chief of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang.
“This position remained unchanged, he was responding to a question on the issue ahead of its review by the 1267 Committee of the UN next month.
“At present, some members still have a disagreement over the listing matter.” The 1267 Committee comprises members of the UN Security Council.
Azhar is accused by India of being the mastermind behind the Pathankot attacks.
“We have talked about our position many times. We believe the principles of objectivity and professionalism and justice shall be upheld,” Geng said. “
China stands ready to remain in coordination and communication with the relevant parties.”
For India, the challenge of going ahead remains China vis-a-vis Pakistan. Whether it is the matter of getting Masood Azhar designated as terrorist or India seeking a berth in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the main stumbling block for India is China.
In the UNSC, India finds itself facing a defeat time and again because of China’s veto power. And in matters of NSG that works on the basis of consensus among member states, the problem again is an adamant China.
