Pulwama Terror Attack - Understanding China's Support for Jaish
iasparliament
February 20, 2019
What is the issue?
The Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed responsibility for the recent Pulwama Terror Attack. Click here to know more.
It is significant, in this context, to understand why China is protecting Jaish-e-Mohammad against international actions.
What is India's proposal in this regard?
The Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad has carried out multiple attacks on India over the last two decades.
India sees JeM as the brainchild of the Pakistan army.
The Pakistan Army and ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence - intelligence agency of Pakistan) is believed to control the Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The UN Security Council Resolution 1267 prescribes a sanctions regime against designated terrorists and terrorist groups.
India thus proposed in 2016, after the Pathankot attack, to designate its leader, Maulana Masood Azhar as a global terrorist under the UN 1267 regime.
But India's proposal has been blocked four times by China, most recently in January 2017, and it continues to protect Jaish.
Why is China shielding Azhar?
Evidence - China insists that there is not enough evidence to designate him a “global terrorist”, though the rest of the P5 (permanent members in UNSC) believes otherwise.
So China maintains that it wanted to “uphold the authority and validity of the 1267 Committee”.
Pak population - China enjoys an overwhelming popularity in Pakistan as 88% Pakistanis view China favourably.
It is not in Beijing’s interest to disappoint this constituency by accepting India’s repeated demands to list Azhar.
India - India is part of a short list of economic giants who have refused to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China.
India has opposed the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is part of BRI, as it runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
So as China views India as its Asian rival and a competitor, it uses the Azhar issue to make things difficult for India.
Such tactics are also intended as a message to the US which seeks to build a relationship with India to contain China in the Indo-Pacific.
CPEC - Besides all the above, the actual reason for China's stance is the cause of Pakistan, it's all weather ally in South Asia.
China wanted to protect its business interests in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Why is CPEC crucial for China?
China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a key part in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The BRI aims to connect Asia, Europe and Africa by building and upgrading road, rail, and sea infrastructure on a massive scale.
Trade - CPEC runs across the length of Pakistan, linking Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang province to the Gwadar deep-sea port near Pakistan’s border with Iran.
With access to the sea through Gwadar, China will not have to take the long route through the Straits of Malacca (between Malay Peninsula and Indonesia) and around India.
This would significantly increase it's proximity to the oil shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz (between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman).
Investment - Chinese firms have invested close to $40 billion in around 45 CPEC projects, about half of which are nearing completion.
So China is determined to protect this huge investment of money, personnel and time.
Security - China intends to avoid any terrorist attacks on CPEC infrastructure and thousands of Chinese working on them.
So in effect, good relations with Pakistan and international protection for ISI proxies like Jaish would mean China's security.
The project has been targeted by Baloch separatists as well as the Pakistani Taliban.
They have claimed to be protesting China’s treatment of its Muslim Uyghur minority in eastern Xinjiang.
But Pakistan has attempted to reassure Beijing on the security of CPEC.
In 2015, it established a 20,000-personnel Special Security Division drawn from the Army and paramilitary forces in addition to the local police, exclusively to secure CPEC.
Besides, China has an understanding with other terror outfits too that as long as they don't train the Uyghurs in China, it will not penalise them.
