BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang on Wednesday said that China’s position on the issue of Masood Azhar’s listing as an international terrorist is consistent and clear.
Recently, China has continued to maintain communication with relevant countries and things are moving in the direction of resolution.
Regarding the recent move by some relevant countries to force the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to adopt a new resolution, China has repeatedly expressed its opposition to this practice, he said at a regular news briefing.
He was asked to comment on the report, that the United States, Britain and France once again demanded that China lift the technical suspension of the resolution of the listing of Masood in the 1267 Committee of UNSC. It was also asked by a questioner that if the resolution is passed by the 1267 Committee in UNSC, will China support it.
Responding to it, Lu Kang emphasised that they are firmly opposed to this approach. In fact, in the relevant discussions in UNSC, most members have indicated that the relevant issues should be resolved within the framework of the 1267 Committee and they do not wish to deal with issues that should have been resolved by the 1267 Committee.
China, he added, has urged the countries concerned to respect the opinions of the majority of the members of UNSC and continue to work in a cooperative manner. Through cooperation, he added, the relevant issues could be properly resolved within the framework of the 1267 Committee.
Lu Kang pointed out that UNSC and its affiliates have clear rules of procedure and relevant disciplinary rules. You are afraid to ask the relevant parties for your information to verify. The attitude of the Chinese side is very clear.
He emphasised that this issue must be resolved through cooperation between the members of UNSC within the framework of the 1267 Committee.
“We do not believe that forcing any program that does not reach an agreement will achieve the results that the promoters hope to see,” he added.
He reiterated that the first of all things are moving in the direction of resolution. Secondly, regarding the current discussions in the 1267 Committee, UNSC and its subsidiary bodies have clear discipline and procedures for internal consultations. As members of the council, we should faithfully abide by these disciplines and procedures, he added.
To a question about the “re-education camp” in Xinjiang and having any of its link to the demolitions of Muslim mosques across China, the spokesperson said, they have said many times that the vocational skills education and training institutions established in Xinjiang have a very clear purpose.
“Like other countries in the world, we are taking preventive measures based on the need to fight terrorism and de-extremism. Such measures may be different in different countries, but the objectives are the same,” he said.
As for your reference to the existence of anti-Islamism in China, the spokesperson said, there is no such situation. China implements the policy of freedom of religious belief.
Like other countries, they manage religious affairs in accordance with the law, resolutely oppose and combat religious extremism, and at the same time guarantee the normal religious needs of religious believers and respect the customs of religious believers.
“China has more than 20 million Muslims and more than 35,000 mosques. The majority of religious believers can freely engage in religious activities in accordance with the law,” he added.
He hoped that the relevant media should not be keen on some untrue words, let alone concoct false news, but should abide by the journalistic professional ethics.
