China backs UN blacklist of leader of Pakistan-based militants, ending a decade of opposition
- Beijing’s decision to support UN Security Council sanctions against Jaish-e-Mohammad head Masood Azhar is a breakthrough for India-China relations
- India stepped up diplomatic efforts to convince China that Azhar should be labelled a terrorist following a deadly attack in Kashmir
China has agreed to a UN Security Council push to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorist Masood Azhar, head of Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammad, in a breakthrough for India-China relations.
Beijing’s decision, ending a decade of opposition, came after New Delhi stepped up diplomatic efforts to convince the Chinese government that Azhar should be labelled a terrorist following a deadly terror attack in the disputed territory of Kashmir in February.
Following China’s approval, the UN will issue a travel ban and arms embargo against Azhar. The move will also freeze his finances and assets.
Jaish-e-Mohammad, also known as JeM, claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in Kashmir’s Pulwama district which killed 40 Indian troops.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping “have developed a chemistry of trust with each other” since their meeting in Wuhan a year ago, said Madhav Nalapat, a professor of geopolitics at India’s Manipal University.
