China, India, Increase Cooperation Against Terror

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

China announced that it will be expanding its cooperation with India in all counter-terror matters after India’s President Pranab Mukherjee voiced concerns over Beijing blocking New Delhi’s efforts to get the head of Kashmir-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, Masood Azhar, blacklisted by the UN.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying described Mukherjee’s four-day state visit as “very successful and fruitful,” adding that the two sides “agreed to carry forward our fine traditions, deepen practical cooperation and elevate bilateral relations.”

“The two sides will expand bilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism. Terrorism is our common enemy. We will continue to enhance our counter-terrorism efforts under the UN, the BRICS and other frameworks to jointly maintain regional peace and stability,” Hua said.

In a meeting, Mukherjee urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to increase cooperation in the fight against terror, saying that there are “no good or bad terrorists.”

The two sides agreed to “maintain high-level exchanges to better top level design and put in place improved mechanisms,” Hua said. Additionally, the two states will attempt to reconcile their differences in long-standing land and border disputes, so that these “disputes will not stand in the way of our practical cooperation,” she added.

Hua said that the two countries “will support each other on regional and international occasions by joining their voices together on the international stage,” the Times of India reports.

As part of the ongoing effort to relieve these tensions, India and China met for the 19th round of the Special Representatives talks earlier this year in order to resolve disputes regarding the 3488-km long Line of Actual Control – a disputed area of land between the two countries.